All That Remains
by Zombie450AriesBournePrincess
Summary: Driving through the night she realized one thing. She'd gone crazy. All over one stupid egg roll. With no where in mind to go he walked into a café. Paying for his coffee he looked around spotting a brunette. She still had his heart. He couldn't just show up in her life, not again. Seeing the man she never fell out of love with and that alone scared her.
1. Chapter 1

**The first little part comes from Season 2 episode 12 - Richard in Stars Hollow. Just a little something that came to mind. I own nothing but the plot. Takes place about 4 years after season 7.**

* * *

_"Nice picture." A smirking Jess stated coming to a stop by Rory._

_"Gee, thanks." Rory replied sarcastically._

_"You're very popular right now. I bet if you burn a few books, they'll probably make you mayor." Jess joked._

_"This is ridiculous."_

_"I don't know, bet you have a lot of supporters on this. Pat Buchanon, Jerry Falwell, Kathie Lee Gifford." Jess was having fun annoying her._

_"Bye." Rory stated giving him a glare._

_"Aw, come on, it's a little funny." Jess tried stuffing his hands in his pockets further._

_"No, being the poster girl for censorship is not a little funny. The only videos not behind that curtain are Bambi and Dumbo. I mean, they actually had a meeting earlier about whether or not Babe should be behind the curtain so as not to offend people who keep kosher." Rory ranted._

_"It's a crazy world we live in."_

_"And where did they even find that stupid picture?" The huge picture on display freaked her out. Surely they could have found a better one of her. Or better yet they didn't need a picture of her._

_"Oh no, the picture's good. It's the people who are stupid." Jess replied glancing at the picture._

_"I'm never gonna be able to leave my house again."_

_"Well, at least you won't starve." Jess remarked seeing the bags of food Rory had._

_"I can't look at it anymore." Rory huffed._

_"Relax. I don't think it'll be around very long." Jess stated matter of factly his smirk staying in place._

_"Why?" Rory questioned getting scared._

_"Just a guess." Jess replied walking backwards._

_"Jess!" Rory shouted._

_"Enjoy the food." He called out with a small chuckle._

_"Come back here." Rory demanded._

_"Why?"_

_"I'll give you an egg roll." Rory stated getting Jess to take a few steps closer to her._

_"Yes?" Jess inquired._

_"What did you do?" Rory asked once again._

_"Nothing much. Just wanted to make sure whoever rented Dumbo or Bambi gets a little surprise." He shrugged acting as if it was no big deal._

_"What kind of surprise? What did you do?" Rory asked a mix of amused and concern._

_"You owe me an egg roll." Jess replied walking off a smile replacing his smirk._

* * *

Driving through the night she realized one thing. She'd gone crazy. All over one stupid egg roll. The last she saw of him was the night she picked Logan over him. She thought she was in love with Logan. She loved the idea of being in love with Logan. He had pushed her limits making her do things no guy before had. All except one. Logan did make her happy, just not happy enough to marry him. Looking back Logan had also changed her into someone she didn't wanna be. She wanted to live her life her way for once. Now she was driving to Philly. To see the man she never fell out of love with and that thought alone still freaked her out, right to her core. No one stood in her way unless he was in a relationship. He couldn't have moved on? Of course he did Rory, he wasn't going to spend the last 3 years pining after you. With the thoughts of him being with another woman, she had to see him. She needed to do this.

On all the nights to order Chinese and read her collection of Jess Mariano books, it had to be now, both of them mixed together. Good memories along with the bad flooded in. The one thing that stuck out because of the egg roll in hand, she still owed him one.

Getting into Philly the first thing she did was get a hotel room for the night. She needed sleep before she tried to figure out the rest. The drive had worn her down, her mind was still reeling with the fact Jess might not still love her. But telling him her feelings was something she needed to do.

Morning came fast and Rory found herself at a café on her second cup of coffee. The most logical thing to do would be to go to Truncheon and see him but she couldn't force herself to leave the chair she took residency in. The furthest she ever found herself going was to the counter to get a fresh cup of coffee. Seeing the man who walked through the door had panic setting in. She wasn't ready for this.

Jess threw his pen down. He was in no mood to deal with Matt and Chris fighting over the new book display. Sending his friends a glare he shrugged his jacket on. The last few months he had been in a mood. His friends tried to get him to open up but he only closed up more. Truth be told he wasn't entirely sure why he was so mad at the world for. Well other than Rory Gilmore invading his thoughts. He was trying to write another book and every time he sat down to write Rory was all he could think about. He couldn't write yet another book about her. He could but it would stay unpublished like the last one.

"Where are you going?" Matt asked stopping his disagreement with Chris.

"Out." Jess called over his shoulder. With no where in mind to go he walked into a café 2 blocks away. Paying for his coffee he looked around spotting a certain brunette. Rory? It couldn't be her? The last he had heard she worked for the New York Times. She couldn't be here in Philly. With his brown eyes meeting her blue eyes he was certain it was Rory. He hadn't thought about her in months now. Before that was a year. He tried to move on. Planned on getting married but the second Luke told him Rory was in New York. From what he heard she had refused Blond dick's proposal. It gave him hope. There was no one like Rory Gilmore. She still had his heart. He couldn't just show up in her life, not again. Mostly because he didn't know where she lived. He wasn't going to make a scene at the Times.

"Jess?" Rory questioned. He looked mostly the same as the last time she had seen him. Except now his hair was a bit longer and he had some facial hair. He looked good.

"Rory." Jess acknowledged sitting down. "What are you doing here?" He was happy she was here. Surprised but happy none the less.

"To see you." She chewed on her lip waiting for his reply. That certainly took him off guard.

"Huh"

"I was reading your books." She admitted making herself blush. The pink tint hadn't went unnoticed by a now smirking Jess. "And I was eating egg rolls and I remembered I still owe you one for making my picture vanish." Finishing she took a giant gulp of her coffee.

"Huh." Jess replied thinking back to that night. "I never did get that egg roll. You could've came down tomorrow. You're gonna miss work."

"It couldn't wait Jess." If she had waited another day she would have never made it to Philly to see him. And this was something she needed to do even if she was using an egg roll as her excuse.

"First you skip school to see me in New York and now you skip work to see me in Philly. I'm impressed Gilmore."

"As you should be."

"I need to get back to work but," Jess paused to jot down an address. "Meet me here for that egg roll." Jess pushed the paper across the table. "At 7." Rory smiled taking the paper in her fingers.

"See you then Jess."

Jess headed back to work with a grin plastered on his face. Things were starting to look up or so he thought. As for Rory she finished her coffee and started to panic. What was she going to wear? She had only threw in a few pairs of jeans and shirts nothing nice enough for tonight. Rory headed out to find a store.

"We have never seen you this excited and happy. Why can't you tell us her name?" Matt asked with a whine to his voice.

"You both need a new hobby." Jess replied finishing off his hair. All he told his friends and roommates was he was going to catch up with an old friend. They got that Jess was meeting a woman but he refused to tell them it was Rory.

"We can't help but worry Jess. Especially after what she did to you." Chris stated emphasizing you.

"I'm over it, so should you guys." Jess was already annoyed with his friends. They couldn't know he was meeting up with Rory.

"We had to watch you as this hollow shell of a man Jess. We can't get over it and deep-down you're not either." Matt yelled. Jess went to speak but instead turned on his heel and walked out. He couldn't let them bring his mood down. Rory hurt him years ago but he had done the same to her. They had to be on a fair playing field by now. The past was the past and now they could start over. As friends.

Rory wanted to be early, but not knowing her way around the city she happened to get to the place the same time Jess had. They shared a smile. Jess held the door open motioning Rory to enter first.

"How have you been Jess?" Rory asked once they had their food in front of them.

"Not bad. You?" Jess asked digging in. Small talk was the best after all. Neither one saw the point in bring up heavier subjects. They both wanted answers for certain things but now wasn't the time for that.

"Nat bad either." Rory smiled. They made small talk all through dinner and dessert. They talked about work, books, music and the up coming wedding.

"I see you can still eat." Jess smirked pulling out his wallet to pay the bill.

"That has never changed. Jess I owed you remember?" Rory asked putting her hand on his.

"I guess after tonight you still have a debt to pay Gilmore." Jess smirked forgetting about the burning sensation that spread through his body at Rory's simple touch. Rory smiled at this happy to have another reason to meet up with Jess again.

"I wont take as long to pay it off this time." She smiled. Jess paid and they made their way outside. Rory had walked to the restaurant since it was a few blocks from the hotel she was staying at. "Luke really wants you to be his best man huh?" Rory asked walking next to Jess.

"He really does. And after everything, standing by him up their only seems right, ya know?" Rory could only nod. She knew he changed and did something with his life but she didn't just how much he had changed. "Why have they waited 4 years to get married?"

"The Inn, the diner. Mom wanted to work around me being on the road covering Obama's campaign. Other things happened like the twins. And now is the perfect time for it." Rory replied. "Before the twins were born they eloped but mom felt bad that she wasn't able to share her special day with friends and family."

"They're 2 right?" Jess asked. He saw them after they born. Now all he saw of them was pictures that Luke would send. He always said he would go back to visit and see them but he could never find the time to do so.

"Yep. They're so cute." Rory gushed.

"I bet." Jess replied with half a sigh. Rory felt it would be best if she changed the topic back to the wedding and off babies. Their was something bothering Jess but Rory wouldn't push him on it. Instead she was going to stay clear of it.

"You sure you wanna be seen dancing with me?" Rory asked looking straight ahead a grin plastered on her face. It was something about Jess that made her feel like she was 17 all over again.

"Who says I don't have a date?" Jess remarked stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh. I didn't know, I thought." Rory stopped talking she already felt bad enough for assuming his was single. Jess was a good-looking man, anyone would be lucky to have him. She had lost out on that chance long ago.

"I don't have a date Ror. I've been single for some time now." Rory felt relieved hearing that. "We could always go together, leave together. Keep Luke and your mom guessing. That'd be fun." Rory laughed gently pushing him.

"The look on their faces when they see us walk in together would be priceless. If you really want to go together Jess, I wouldn't be against it."

"It's a date than." Jess smirked. They walked the next block and a half in silence. Both their minds whirling around at what they just agreed to.

"This is me." Rory spoke up breaking the silence. "Give me your phone." Rory demanded holding her hand out waiting for Jess to pull his phone out. "I still can't believe you broke down and got a cell." Rory replied a smile playing on his lips.

"Had to with work and all." Jess replied looking around.

"Call me this time Jess." Rory told him handing his phone back. Jess nodded. Rory kissed his cheek opening the door to her hotel room. "Goodnight Jess. I had fun tonight."

"Night Ror. I did too." Jess smiled walking away. This time he'd call her. He wasn't going to mess things up this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Rory sat on her bed staring at her phone. Her mom had called over a dozen times but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone. In skipping out-of-town she had also missed Friday Night Dinner with the grandparents. She gave no one a heads up she wouldn't be there. With seeing Jess and things being good with him it had slipped her mind. She flinched as her phone signaled she had a text. Slowly and carefully she picked her phone up. She had let the breath she was holding out a smile spreading across her face.

'Headed to a bar on 5th, wanna join? - Jess'

'I think I can swing that.'

'8' Was all Jess had responded with. He could suck it up for one night with his friends. It wasn't as if he had to stick around Matt and Chris anyway. They were going to find a hook up for the night. He would threaten them before hand. Jess wanted to spend as much time with Rory this weekend as he possibly could.

"Hello?" Rory asked not bothering to look at the screen on her phone.

"This can't be the daughter of mine that left me alone last night? The daughter that fed me to the wolves? The daughter that..."

"Yes mom it's that daughter. I find it hard for Audrey to do any of that." Rory replied cutting Lorelai off.

"Uh yes she's now the good one. Speaking of last night, where were you? I got no call from any hospital's saying you were there dying."

"Work function. Couldn't get away. I was so busy I had thought at one point I had called you." Lying had become easier to do over the phone for Rory. She hated that she had to lie to her mom but she really wanted to show up on Jess's arm and see the reaction she got from everyone. She knew her mom would disapprove of her dropping everything to visit Jess in Philly after all these years.

"You owe me. You get to watch the kids the whole 2 weeks we're gone." Lorelai smirked.

"You guys are adding another week to your honeymoon?" Rory asked. She could work from Stars Hollow so it wasn't a problem. She had already sorted it out with her boss and he was making Rory take a week off since she never misses a day of work.

"Yep, we decided that we deserved a little more time together. Oh you don't mind helping out at the diner do you?"

"Lor I told you I had the diner covered." Rory heard Luke yell in the background.

"I think he has that covered mom." Lorelai huffed loudly muttering a fine and changing the topic.

Jess had yet to complain about anything Matt or Chris did. They were yet again arguing over the name for the non-existent bar. Jess tuned them out and looked through the stack of papers on his desk. He hadn't got far though. He had fun last night and he didn't want it to end. He may not have called her but he had sent her a message. To him it was close enough to the same thing. He had contacted her. It was more than had ever done before when he said he would call.

"Jess would you talk to Matt and tell him that we don't need to own a bar." Chris yelled. Jess put his papers down and walked out to see his friends doing very little of nothing.

"I thought we agreed we were going to try to expand first?" Jess questioned getting himself a cup of coffee.

"We can't agree on the city." Matt replied getting a handful of books to put on the shelf.

"And I told you before New York would be perfect for it."

"Are you willing to go there find the perfect place and after everything else run the place?" Chris asked with Matt agreeing from somewhere in the middle of the bookstore.

"If that's what you want. I wouldn't mind." Jess replied thinking how nice it would be to back in New York, to be able to spend time with Rory as friends again. To be away from Matt and Chris. He liked the guys but getting away sounded like heaven. He loved Philly but it just wasn't the same as New York. It would be nice.

"Then you can go look for a place next weekend. Let us know the details." Matt patted Jess on the back walking up to them. "I have to go meet a new poet." With that Matt was out the door.

"I've got the afternoon off. It's pretty dull around here, I think you'll survive." Chris got his things and headed out the door. Jess refilled his cup and got back to work.

Rory having seen enough of her hotel room decided she was going to play tourist but that had got boring. She didn't have anyone with her to mock things. Instead she opted to go see how much Truncheon Books had changed over the years. Rory pushed the door open a smile spreading across her face. The place hadn't changed one bit. Seeing the raven haired man sitting on the floor putting books away made her smile turn into a grin. She made her way over to him.

"Don't you guys believe in change? Helpful services would be nice too."

"Rory?" Jess asked looking up to see her standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see your place."

"What's the point in changing something that works? But if you look close enough there is a few stains on the floor."

"I wont ask."

"Good choice." Jess smirked getting off the floor.

"Need any help?" Rory asked seeing the books that needed to be put away.

"I don't wanna make you work Rory."

"I don't mind. I might even find a few new books to read. Speaking of which, you writing anymore books?" Rory's eyes grew wide with anticipation.

"I might be. At least I know I will always have one fan." Rory blushed at his comment looking down.

"So where are um Matt and Chris right?" Rory asked trying to recall the names Jess had told her.

"Chris is off for the afternoon and Matt had a meeting with a poet. Hey Ror?"

"Yea Jess?"

"You don't have to come out to the bar tonight." He didn't wanna make her think she had to go. If she really wanted to do something else he would be ok with that.

"Oh, don't you want me to come with?" Rory was crushed. She had thought that they had made it clear last night they were friends again.

"I want you to come Rory, I did invite you. I just didn't know if you had anything else planned."

"Everything I had planned for this weekend got canceled when I came here to see you."

"Right. If you still wanna help out that box of books needs to be put on the empty shelf's in the back." Rory smiled getting all giddy taking the heavy box to the back.

Rory spent her afternoon helping Jess out. Rory was starting to enjoy helping out. She could see why Jess loved it here. After making sure it was ok she still meet him at the bar Rory had headed out to get ready. Jess closed up Truncheon and headed home to get ready himself.

Jess had finished getting ready sooner than he had expected so he headed out. Instead of walking to the bar he found himself heading in the direction of the hotel Rory was staying at. He stopped short seeing her walk out. His breath catching in his throat. Rory looked up a sparkle to her blue eyes.

"I didn't expect you to show up here. You look good Jess." He had on a pair of dark blue jeans, a black button dress shirt and a white tee-shirt underneath.

"You look beautiful Rory." Jess smiled looking her over. She had on a knee-length dark blue dress. Rory blushed walking up to him.

"I expected you to hate me."

"I had no reason to hate you Rory. That was how we were back then. A disaster waiting to happen. I'd like to think we have both grew up enough to fix that problem."

"I hope we have Jess." People change. This Rory knew. She could only hope that things between them would be different this time around.

An hour into the outing and plenty of alcohol consumed Jess was relaxed more. Matt and Chris said nothing when they learned who Rory was. Jess knew he would hear it when they were alone tomorrow.

"How long are you in town for?" Rory looked over at Matt.

"I leave tomorrow afternoon. I gotta get back for work on Monday."

"It is what you do best." He mumbled, Jess had been the only one to hear this and sent his friend a glare. Jess glanced at Rory who hadn't heard the mumble. "Work waits for no one."

"The Times right?" Rory nodded. "Jess filled us in before hand."

"Rory love." Rory cringed hearing the Australian accent. He was one of the last people she wanted to run into tonight. Putting a fake smile on her face she turned to face him seeing he wasn't alone.

"Colin, Finn, hey." Rory got up giving them hugs. They moved away from the table.

"I hate you. Both of you." Colin replied placing money in Finn's hand. Rory looked around seeing if Logan was with them. Logan was the very last person she wanted to see well she was out with Jess.

"He's not here love." Finn replied.

"Good. I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing." Rory wanted to catch up with them but mostly she wanted to be far away from them.

"Just having drinks." Colin replied. "But with the looks we're getting, we'll let you get back. It was good seeing you."

"It was good seeing you both." Rory replied hugging them.

"Take care love." Rory smiled going back to sit down with Jess who had a slight scowl on his face.

"Who are they?" Jess asked taking a drink of his beer.

"Old friends from Yale." She wasn't going to bring Logan's name up. They were Logan's friends but they had quickly became her friends as well.

"Love?" Matt said under his breath.

"That's how Finn is. He hit on my mom in the police station." At that Jess spit his beer out.

"Was he drunk?" Jess asked amused.

"Yes he was." Rory replied hitting Jess. "Mom is attractive Jess."

"I never said she wasn't Rory. It's just Lorelai." Rory rolled her eyes.

"You just don't like the fact she caught you trying to sneak a beer."

"What was I suppose to do? You wouldn't let me leave."

"No I wouldn't leave with you and we're talking about Stars Hollow Jess. There was nothing to do."

"I know because the 24 hour mart had closed 20 mins before hand." Jess smirked. Rory laughed taking a drink of her beer.

"Jess has told us that all of Stars Hollow deserves to be locked away in a loony bin." Chris remarked.

"Hey!" Rory exclaimed.

"You don't live there so you don't count."

"What about Luke?" Rory questioned.

"He lives there so what does that say about him?" Jess asked.

"If you like crazy town people then Stars Hollow is the place to go. I like the place myself."

"You're biased. You're one of them."

The more time they spent together the sooner the tension had left. By closing time they were all joking around like they had been friends for years. Jess walked Rory back to her hotel room. He didn't want her drunk and on the streets alone. The only problem he crashed on the empty bed in her room to tried and way to drunk to get up. Rory smiled walking out of the bathroom from getting changed for bed. She found a blanket and tossed it over Jess's sleeping form. Turning the light off Rory crawled into the other bed sleep over taking her body.


	3. Chapter 3

Rory had woke before Jess had. But that was to be expected since Rory had less to drink than Jess had. She had showered, packed her things and went and got coffee and donuts all before he had woke. What was she to say? In just a few hours she had to go back home to New York. In two weeks she would walk into her mom's wedding on Jess's arm and after that she wont see him again. Did she wanna clear the air with him? Or let it all go? What was the point of showing up here? It wasn't just about the egg roll she promised years ago. She had seen that as her chance and now...

"There's water and aspirin by the bed," Rory spoke softly seeing Jess sit up grabbing his head. She had already drank both cups of coffee waiting on him to wake up. She found herself stealing glances at him well he was asleep. He looked so peaceful, a look she had only saw play on his face. A look that fit him well.

"Thanks." Jess popped them in his mouth followed up with a huge gulp of water. His head hurt too much to think. The pounding wouldn't stop. "I should get going so you can get back to New York." That was the last thing Rory wanted to do. She wasn't ready to give up her weekend with Jess. She didn't want it to be a distant reminder.

"I still have some time. We haven't really had a chance to talk about things," Rory told him a bit nervous. This trip wasn't just about paying him back that egg roll. She not only wanted answers but needed them. There was so much of him holding her back. She wanted to know where it was they stood. Whether there was a possibility of them moving forward as a couple or if they just stayed a couple of friends.

"Let me go home to shower and change." This was the moment he was dreading the most. With their past they couldn't let it be. It was a storm waiting to happen. Wounds would be reopened.

"I'll come with. It'll be easier that way." Jess got up headed for the door. He wasn't in the mood to fight over her coming with. Rory wasn't giving him a choice here. Her mind was already made up on this.

"We'll take your car. I'll give you directions." Rory nodded and followed Jess outside. She led the way to her car and soon enough she was following step by step directions. Rory pulled up to a nice brick apartment building. She followed behind Jess as he unlocked the front door of the building. They rode the elevator to the 4th floor. "The place might be a mess. I haven't really cleaned up in a few days."

"I saw how you lived at Luke's, Jess," Rory remarked stepping into Jess's apartment. She looked around taking it all in. The most she really saw were a few dishes in the sink and books that lined the floor. His place wasn't messy.

"I didn't really have room at his place." Jess pushed his door closed. "Uh make yourself at home, I'll just be a minute." Rory nodded turning to look at him. Jess walked to his room leaving Rory alone. Rory chewed her lip waiting until she heard the water turn on. She looked around seeing that the walls were bare. She tried to find pictures but came up empty. Sitting in the corner with a stack of books was her basket. A smile spread across her face. She had figured he got rid of that years ago. She took a book from atop the pile sitting on the couch to read.

"Don't you have your own?" Jess asked walking out of his room in fresh clothes, his hair laying flat from the water.

"I didn't bring any. I was in a rush, grabbing a book was the last thing on my mind. It's not like I could actually read and drive."

"That would be a disaster," He pointed out taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"Hey Jess?" Rory asked standing up. "Care to explain why you still have this?" She held her basket up walking back to her spot on the couch.

"I paid 90 bucks for that. It would be a waste to toss it in the trash." He had tried to get rid of it more than once but he could never follow through with it. It felt like he was getting rid of the memory that came with the basket. Rory found it cute and very sentimental of Jess to still have something like that.

"I can't believe you ate it," Rory remarked with a smile taking her spot on the couch.

"Not my smartest choice but I had to do something to impress you." Rory shook her head at Jess's words.

"You had at me Howl." That little statement could be taken more than one way and Rory wasn't sure which way she had meant it.

"I had to make the necessary improvements for you." Jess smirked keeping to the lighter side of things. He understood the hidden message behind the words but it felt safer to stick away from that conversation for the time being. Rory had felt as if there was a double meaning behind that.

"We're not talking about Howl anymore are we?"

"We're we ever?" Jess asked back answering her question with his own.

"What happened Jess?" Leaving their current conversation balance in the air. They both knew the answer to the question. Rory felt it was time to get a bit deeper.

"To us? To the world? To books?" Jess rattled off. He understood the question, he just wasn't looking forward to answering it.

"What happened to you?" After all weekend it was time to go head in on their past. Rory could still sense a bit of tension between them.

"Boy fell in love with girl, treated her like shit, ran away, magically appeared told her how he felt only to run away again. Boy then showed up wanting girl to run away with him but she said no. It was in that moment the boy felt crushed and he had to go prove himself, not only for himself but for the one person that knew he had it in him. I was a dick to you, I can't change that Rory but I am sorry for doing it." He meant it, he was sorry, he hated that he even had done it. But he had and now he had to own up to that.

"I had wondered what would have happened if I had ran away with you. Odds are it would have never worked out. We both know this. We had a vicious cycle going." Rory's anger was slowly starting to boil over.

"You didn't have to shut me out that night." Rory slightly cringed at the sudden volume change. Jess was getting pissed. All he wanted that night was a chance. He would've sat down and talked to her if she had asked him. That night was suppose to go differently, he saw it play out in his head on the drive to New Haven. He had listened to the tapes that Luke gave him. He had this huge speech planned out but seeing bag boy with Rory all logic had escaped.

"Really? You wouldn't listen Jess. You wouldn't talk to me, but you expected me to run away with you. You gotta see that we would have acted like things were good for a certain period of time but nothing would have changed. We both needed to grow up."

"I do know that Rory. It was wrong of me to ask you to leave everything behind like that. We never had this communication thing down." Rory gave him a look raising her eyebrows.

"I wanted you to talk to me. I was always afraid to talk to you about things because you would always shut me out. I found it hard to have an important conversation with someone who wouldn't join in." At this point Rory was off the couch pacing around the living room. Jess stood up running his hands through his hair.

"Alright I didn't like to talk about things. But you gotta see things from my point of view. It was my last chance to be with you, I wanted it to work it out. I was in love with you Rory." She could see the sincerity in his chocolate eyes. She could feel the tears wanting to spill out no matter how many times she blinked them away.

"And I was in love with you when you took off to California. The night you chased me through the streets of Stars Hollow and told me you loved me, do you know what I would have told you?" Jess said nothing his eyes burnt into Rory's. "I love you. It was a shock and it hurt when you ran off like that. I told you no to hurt you the way you hurt me." At this point Rory couldn't keep her tears in. Her anger had subsided. Pain had found its way in. All the pain he caused her crushed her soul, the pain weighed her heart down.

"Like how you wanted to use me at my open house? Because Rory that cut deep." She couldn't look at him. She felt pain and he was still mad at her. His anger was on the surface exploding.

"I didn't mean that Jess. You have this way of pulling me in. You always have. I cheated on Dean with you. I cheated on Logan with you." She was back to yelling, her anger beating the pain for a moment.

"Sounds like you're not a very trustworthy girlfriend Gilmore." Rory gave him a hard glare but it softened seeing the smirk that was playing on his lips.

"I never cheated on you." That was the truth, Jess had always been different. In the last four years she had a few dates. A few relationships that lasted 4 months or a little longer but she could always find something she didn't like. "Even though it may have felt like that over the years."

"What?" Not only was he confused at Rory's admission but he was at ease knowing he wasn't the only one to feel like that. He was ready to walk down the aisle but a late night conversation about books had stopped that. Books were his life and he wanted to share that with his wife and one day with his kids. To have silly arguments over Ayn Rand and Hemingway, to discus Tolstoy, to enjoy the journey of Oliver Twist. It all may seem silly to most people but to him it was a game changer.

"Nothing. I need to get back." Jess wanted to make her stay, they were no where close to done with this but he felt that they weren't going to get any further on it.

"Rory," She stopped hearing the pleading in his voice. "I'm going to be in New York next weekend, I think we need to finish this. We can't let it hang over us. We need time to cool off." Rory took a deep breath releasing it. Jess was right. She found it hard to turn around and look at him. It would be worse if they let this fight follow them around for years.

"I wont be home Friday night," because she had missed this Friday, she had to make it to the next one. "Dinner with the grandparents. I wont be home until sometime Saturday afternoon. I'll send you the directions later in the week." It was something at least. She waited a few seconds giving Jess time to respond. When he didn't Rory walked out the door. It was when she got to the elevator she started to wonder if she wanted to leave things hang in the air for the week. She was running from her and Jess's problems, that wasn't what she wanted. But could she go back and face him? Hearing the ping of the elevator she had a choice to make. Did she run or did she stay? The choice was an easy one to make but the action to do it was hard.


	4. Chapter 4

Jess stood burning a hole through his door. He was ready to chase after Rory. He wanted to, but he found that he couldn't move from the spot he was in. It was best to get this fight out now and not let it be in the fore front of his mind all week. He changed. He no longer had the urge to run from his problems. He learned he needed to tackle his problems head on. They would only catch up to you after everything in your life was going good. Well as good as it can get anyway. His ending wasn't already wrote for him. His future was a black mass. No one was narrating it for him. Every move he made was up to him. He wanted to go after Rory and finish what they had started. Soon enough he found that his feet were moving one in front of the other. His hand on the handle ready to turn it.

Taking a deep breath Rory knocked on the door she had just walked through. It was important that they finish this now and not later. Walking away when things got hard was the cowards way out. It was the old Jess and Rory way. And it was time to break that cycle. Going back was the right way to deal with this. Jess pulled the door open not expecting Rory to be standing there. Jess moved to the side letting Rory enter the apartment.

"What brings you back?" Jess asked walking to the living room. This is what he wanted. He wanted to finish this fight now. Get everything out in the open and move past it. He didn't want things to linger for a week. For things to plague his mind. To him it seemed Rory had changed to. He knew how hard it was for her to come back the way she had.

"I got to the elevator and started to think typical us. One of us running off to avoid confrontation. We are adults now and it's time we act like them. It's better to get everything out in the open now. Why wait til New York?" Rory asked, answering Jess's question with pure honesty.

"I agree with you Rory. It's time we get past this. Move on with our life's," Jess replied walking over to his phone. "Let's order food before we get back into our fight. I'm quite famished." Rory was beyond grateful she didn't have to dive right back into their fight. She was rather starving herself. She needed more time to clear her head.

"Pizza please with pepperoni on half of it," Rory smiled batting her eye lashes making Jess chuckle a little. It wasn't so much at her behavior but more of the memory from their picnic. It was the little things that kept him wanting more. To keep coming back. It wasn't the big things in life, it was the little things leading up to the biggest moment you can ever create that meant the world to both of them.

"Sure thing." Jess walked into the kitchen to order. In the process he started to make a fresh pot of coffee. He was happy that Rory had came back but a huge part of him was disappointed his reason for seeing Rory next weekend in New York had been threw out the door. "We have about a 20 minute wait." Jess handed Rory a cup of coffee. She gave him a smile of thanks taking a sip of the hot liquid.

"Why don't you have any pictures on the wall or anywhere?" She hadn't meant to blurt it out. But she was curious. Luke sent him pictures of Audrey and William. She heard Liz talking about sending Jess pictures of Doula. "You don't have to answer that." She didn't want him to think that she was trying to put him on the spot. That wasn't it. She really was just curious to know the new Jess that sat before her.

"I use to have pictures on the walls but I haven't been in this place for that long. I haven't found the time to hang any of them up." It wasn't a complete lie. He had been living in his place almost 8 months now, most the pictures he did have were gone. Family pictures were in a box somewhere in his closet. He wasn't the type of guy that loved his picture being taken. Avoiding the camera lens was his game to play. "I bet your place is filled with pictures."

"I've got a few." Family pictures were scattered around her place. She hated not being able to be with her family on a daily basis and having pictures did help. She loved pictures. The memories they held, the emotion that got captured was a beauty in its self.

"I'll be the judge of that on Saturday." Rory couldn't keep the grin off her face. It would be like him to back out but the look he gave her made her believe in him. Made her believe that all the change she briefly saw in him years ago had really stuck with him and he was now a better a person. All his demons were gone or close to it.

"Ok." They both grew silent. The silence had never bothered them before. It was the silence with each other they grew to love. It never meant they didn't know what to talk about but rather they didn't need any words to describe the moment they were in. Words can always ruin such a special moment. But this time the silence killed both of them. It wasn't their normal silence. This silence had a life of its own. Ready to strangle the air outta their lungs. What could they really say without bring up their past? You could only ask how someone was a limited amount of time. They both were struggling to figure out what it was they should say. Before either one had a chance to start an awkward conversation there was a knock on the door. Jess excused himself and headed to the door digging money outta his pocket as he went.

"Pepperoni on half like requested," Jess smirked placing the box of pizza on the coffee table. "I have plates if you want one."

"I don't need one, I'm fine, really." This time when conversation became null, it wasn't as awkward as before, now that they had something there to distract them. With their new-found peace they weren't exactly thrilled for the fighting to commence. Maybe just maybe with a little luck they could talk about things without anger taking over.

"Why?" Jess was going to let Rory answer that question the way she wanted to. He wasn't going to pick a point.

"Why what?" Rory sat chewing her lip. She was certain he didn't know about her running back to Dean after being crushed once again. She knew what he wanted answered and it was something that she had thought a lot about over the years. "I wanted to stay that night." She found comfort in looking away from him. Her hands fidgeting in her lap. "But running from the feelings you brought to the surface was easier than actually feeling them. You've always scared me Jess. You have this way of bring out so much of who I wanted to be back then and if I would've asked, I know you would have done everything you could to help me out."

"I did offer to drive a car at you." Rory smiled slightly happy for the little break he had offered. "Did being with me make you that embarrassed? Or was it the fact he had money he could throw around at a moments notice?" He tried to remain calm but his anger could be a bitch at times. He didn't want a full-blown out yelling match with Rory, he wanted it to stay as calm as it could be.

"It had nothing to do with money. He was there, and I did love him. I thought I could be happy with him. I wanted to be happy with him until I realized that he wasn't you and that I may have loved him, but I wasn't in love with him." She wanted to keep her anger under control and so far she was doing just that.

"You just couldn't admit your true feelings?" Jess asked. He knew how that felt. With Rory staying quiet he went on. "It was easier to run away, but the feelings you wanted to avoid never went anywhere." He ran to California to avoid his feelings for Rory. Back then she deserved to be with someone who wouldn't hold her back. Just because he flunked out of high school and Luke had kicked him out, didn't mean he had to leave Rory behind. He still had his job at Wal-Mart, that was better than nothing. But the way Rory made him feel scared him. He didn't understand them. It was easier to run from his feelings even if that meant he left a heart-broken Rory behind. "I did call you, I just didn't know how to justify my actions."

"I figured as much, and I hated that you wouldn't say anything but I understand why never did." After avoiding his gaze, Rory looked up locking her eyes with his. Being here with him was all the reassuring she needed to keep going. "It was easy to pretend that the feelings I had for you were for him. I knew better but I couldn't face them. I had moved on and I figured that you had as well. The more I believed I loved him the more I felt it."

"What went wrong?"

"The way he asked, the way I had to choose. All or nothing. I couldn't marry him. That would have been a mistake. I used my career as my excuse and it was a huge reason but a lot of it had to do with you." Jess sat there trying to wrap his head around the words that spilled from Rory's lips. "You were good for me back then, you may not see it, but the way I saw the world wasn't the way the world works outside of Stars Hollow."

"So what I'm not good enough for you anymore? I changed my whole life around, I grew up. I did something with my life because of you." Jess spat getting to his feet.

"I may have played a huge factor in you changing but Luke believed in you as well. And you changed for yourself. Don't discredit yourself."

"Where does this leave us Rory?" He was done talking. It was time to figure out them. He didn't need to hear anymore. "It's been years and here we sit."

"Friends for now Jess. We can't just jump into anything," Rory replied getting up. She wasn't going to let her emotions get the better of her. She wasn't exactly sure what she had wanted to happen this weekend by showing up in Philly, but walking away friends with Jess and the possibility of something more in the future, was a good way to wrap up the weekend. "Are you still coming on Saturday?" She wanted to make sure that he really was going to show up. She didn't like doubting him but she only knew the old Jess and not the new man he had turned into.

"I believe I have a job in judging your place with pictures," Jess smirked walking Rory to the door. "Starting over as friends is the right thing to do."

"I'll let you know when I get in." Jess nodded pulling his door open. They shared a quick hug and Rory went on her way. Jess shut the door a smile on his face that things were going to be ok.

* * *

**It feels like I have been working on this chapter forever, when really it's only been a few days. I tried to get their fight to go differently but that was the way it came out. And I also know that most everyone names Luke and Lorelai's son William and I wanted it to be different but the name I had picked out just didn't sound right. I hope you guys liked this one. Thank you to everyone that has sent me reviews they really do make me smile and help with what's going to happen next for the story. And to _mac-reye_ your question about Jess and marriage will be answered in the next chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

A half hour after Rory had left, Jess had wandered into his room pulling the doors to his closet open, he went straight to the back of the closet grabbing the lone box in the left hand corner. Bring the box with him to the living room, Jess sat and stared at the box that he placed on the coffee table. Everything to do with the last few years of his life were in that box. Was he ready to open it and relive everything he had just got over? All the pictures that were in this box, he wanted to get rid of but he hadn't found the strength to do that. After a few minutes he inched forward, his hands fumbled with the lid for the box. A faint ringing brought him out of his daze.

"Yea?" Jess answered picking his phone up thankful to have a distraction from the box in his living room.

"Jess, it's Luke." Came the gruffy reply from the other end.

"What can I do for ya Uncle Luke?" He wasn't surprised to have Luke calling him. Over the last few years they had built up a better relationship then the one they had well he was staying with Luke in Stars Hollow.

"Cesar was suppose to run the diner when I go on my honeymoon with Lorelai but he has a family emergency and is going to be out of town." Jess chuckled softly to himself hearing the annoyance to Luke's tone, under that he could hear the urgency to what Luke needed to ask.

"How long do you need me there for?"

"Two weeks. Can you handle that? I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to."

"I know, Luke. It's ok. I'll have to run things by Matt and Chris but I don't see the problem." He had yet to ask for any time off, he was always filling in for one or the other. And if they didn't agree to this he would just tell them it would be like a test run with him in New York. He was certain he could swing a two week stay in Stars Hollow.

"Thanks, Jess. I gotta get back."

"I'll give you a call in a few days when I know for certain." With their conversation coming to an end Jess hit the end button laying the phone on the counter. Walking into the living room he sent the lid of the box flying to the floor. All the memories he had let himself forget came flooding back in. The top picture was that of Samantha. She had fair skin, with light black hair that flowed half way down her back and bright green eyes. She was just under 5' 4". Jess had been drawn in by her eyes. She loved books like he did, it was their taste in music and movies that were different. After a few weeks of dating they had fell into an easy routine. The nights they spent together would normally consist of take out if neither one wanted to cook. By the fifth month they had found a place together. He enjoyed being with Sam, he could see her in his future nothing like having a family and getting married, but that wasn't him.

It was after a phone call from Luke where he had let it slip that not only was Rory headed on Obama's campaign trail but things with Logan hadn't worked out. Jess was thrilled on the inside about Rory being single again. It was in that moment that he realized that things with Sam wouldn't work out because he was still in love with Rory. When he thought about it he could see everything with Rory. He could see himself giving into everything he never thought he could do, for her. Husband and father. He couldn't see that for Sam, he broke it off, knowing it was the right thing to do for the both of them.

He followed Obama's campaign trail. He was going to seek Rory out when they stopped in Philly. The weekend she was in town he had no choice but to fly out to California when Jimmy ended up in the hospital having a minor stroke. After that failed attempt he went to see her in New York. But when he saw her, he knew she was over him. It broke his heart the rest of the way seeing her hanging off the arm of a man with black short hair. He was taller than Rory. He followed her a few blocks ducking into the bar she had went into. He stayed hidden but was close enough to over hear her sweet voice call him Finn before she started to giggle. Having seen enough he headed out. On his drive back to Philly he vowed that he would never fall for someone the way he had for Rory. It was time to revert back to one night stands when he needed sex. He was over relationships.

For two years when he needed the release, he headed to the bar with Matt and Chris. He'd find the woman lucky enough to go home with him. That was until he spotted the red-head at the bar. There was something different about her. He had the urge to be with her, but he also wanted to know more about her. Ditching his friends he went to the bar to order another beer. When he went to speak, he watched as she jumped off her bar stool wrapping another man in a hug. After witnessing that he found the closest woman he could find and headed home with her on his arm.

For weeks he stayed in to work on his new novel. He deleted everything he wrote because it all sounded to clichè with love and heart-break. It was everything he wanted to keep this one away from. With needing a break from writing he headed to Truncheon on his day off.

"I'm looking for a Jess Mariano." Jess was curious to see who the feminine voice belonged to.

"I'm sorry but he has the day off and I don't have the authority to hand out his personal information." Matt told the stunning red-head. Jess walked to where the voices had carried from.

"Here's my card. My boss really wants this interview with him." Just from the back of her head, Jess knew it was the woman from the bar. With a straight face Jess walked up to the pair.

"What interview?" Jess asked letting Matt leave.

"I believe that's none of your business." She turned around her hazel eyes dug into Jess's brown ones.

"You are looking for Jess Mariano right?" He asked leaning against the counter that was behind him. She nodded raising an eyebrow. "I'm Jess Mariano." He told her holding his hand out for her. A quick blush swept across her face.

"Angelina Stevens," She replied shaking his hand. "I work for a small paper and my boss really wants this interview with you."

"Why?"

"You're a hot, young author." The smirk on his face grew. "Think about it," she told him handing over her card.

"I thought about it. Is now a good time?" She was taken back at his answer but none the less she nodded. They headed to a small café.

They spent over an hour taking about anything but the questions she was to ask. Time had ran out and they made plans for the following day. Over the course of days, weeks and months Jess had fell head over heels for Angelina. It only took a few days for him to start calling her Angie. He didn't worry about his future with her. He took every day one at a time.

Six months into his relationship with Angie, he happened to literally run into Rory. She would've ended up on the wet sidewalk from the light dusting of snow if he hadn't caught her. They shared a very awkward moment. For the first time since they have known each other, neither one knew what to say.

"Sorry about that, wasn't watching." Jess was the first to say something rubbing the back of his neck before stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I'm sorry too and it's ok. I wasn't paying attention either." They both grew silent the awkwardness settling back in. "I should be on my way, but it was nice running into you Jess."

"Yea, you too," Jess replied. With one last look they walked off, thinking this would be the last they would ever see the other. Neither one let it effect them the way it would have in earlier years.

A year into the relationship and Jess found himself looking at display case after display case of rings. He headed home once again empty handed. He wanted to take the next step but something deep down was keeping him from moving forward. He wasn't one for relationships but something he had learned from being with Rory if he tried hard enough, he could make it work. And that was something he didn't have to do a lot of with Angie. When they did fight it was like a tornado ripping through but everything else came at ease.

"That's really the only reason you called?" Jess knew Luke had an ulterior motive besides calling just to see how he his.

"It really is. It's been a few months since we've talked and I wanted to make sure everything's good with you." Jess pulled the phone away from his ear hearing the screams.

"What's going on, Luke?"

"Rory's back from New York for the weekend." Jess would ask how Rory was doing once every blue moon. But this was the first of him hearing that Rory was in New York. "She works for the Times." Jess let a smile grace his lips. He was happy for Rory. She had worked hard to get the job of her dreams even if it had changed over the years.

"I'll let you go, with work and all." Jess hang up the phone and went straight to the den. He started with Oliver Twist before moving to Howl. He tried to read Ayn Rand just to see if he could make it further than page 5 but he couldn't do it. From there he picked up his beloved Hemingway. Time well he read was irrelevant to him. When he got tired, he'd go to bed the same went for anything else. If it needed to be done then he'd go do it.

"What are you doing up at 1 in the morning?" Angie asked walking into the den to see Jess sprawled out on the couch, his face stuck in The Old Man and The Sea. "What is it with you and Hemingway?"

"I couldn't sleep and this was the one book that had caught my attention. You have yet to read it or even try so I don't expect you to know," Jess replied placing his book on the end table that held the lamp.

"So now I'm stupid because I don't know Hemingway? Or is it the fact I don't wanna waste my time reading books?" Her voice rose with each word she spoke.

"I didn't call you stupid Ang. You don't understand what these books mean to me." Jess rubbed his face with his hands. "My childhood was never easy. Instead of a mother to turn too, I had my books to take me away." That was all he was going to ever say about his childhood. The rest was locked away. "I think it's a waste of time going out every night for nothing. Books are my world and clubs are yours." He remained calm. This was the conversation he was waiting to have with her. They simply weren't going to work out. He learned early in their relationship that because she worked for a small paper and did interviews on all kinds of people, she hated to read. It was ok at first, he didn't mind but now he longed for the fights over Hemingway and Ayn Rand. He wanted to share his love of books with her but she would never try, she was always too busy to sit back and relax.

"Books and clubs don't play well together. Do they, Jess?" Angie's anger vanished only to be replaced with tears. She had a feeling that things were coming to an end with Jess. She could feel him pulling away. She didn't know what to do so instead of trying she pulled away as well and spent time with her friends at clubs and parties.

"They really don't and no matter how hard we try to make it work, the more we fall apart. I can't force you to understand my world of books and I can never understand your world of parties every single night. This is for the best." Jess had got up pulling the sobbing red-head into his embrace. He gave her a soft and tender kiss.

That break-up was 8 months ago. He got over her like he had got over Samantha, he spent many nights looking for his next lay. He didn't let his emotions come out this time around. Not until he had spotted Rory. His mind was at ease learning that the Finn he thought Rory had been dating was only a friend, it did explain a lot. There was no way ex's would act the way they had that night at the bar. All the emotions he kept hid came out in full force spending time with her. To know she came all the way from New York to see him over something so silly as an egg roll, made him believe that maybe just maybe he could let himself fall for Rory all over again.

He threw the pictures that lay around him back in the box. He couldn't keep them around. Grabbing the box and his keys he headed out to the dumpster behind his apartment building. Tossing the box in he felt the past few years finally release the hold they had on him. Going back to his apartment he pulled out the box that held family photo's and the few pictures he had of him and Rory from when they were 17. It was the memories in this box he wanted to keep. He wanted to try with Rory again. Going slow with her would be the only way to do so, they both had changed over the years. He could do this.

* * *

**I really hope that this chapter is easy to follow with Jess's past and I hope that it clears things up on his past. If not let me what needs to be explained more and I'll try to get it sorted for you.**


	6. Chapter 6

"Hello?" Rory asked not looking at her phone. She was busy getting herself coffee from the break room on her Wednesday morning.

"The Grandparent's are gonna be out-of-town this weekend. I figured we could go out, it's been forever since the two of us have spent any time together." Lorelai's cheerful voice boomed over the phone.

"That sounds wonderful but..." Rory was ready to call Jess and tell him that she would be home Friday night. It couldn't have worked out better for her.

"But work is piling up? Rory, I'm starting to think that you're hiding a guy from me." Rory cursed under her breath at Lorelai's playful tone. She couldn't bring Jess up to her mom, not yet anyway. Not until she saw the change in him. As far as she knew they were still gonna show up at the wedding surprising everyone.

"There is no guy, mom." Rory sighed to herself. She wasn't really lying. Jess wasn't just some guy and they were trying to be friends again. "I'll be there, I might be late though." She couldn't blow her mom off to spend an extra few hours with Jess.

"Ok sweets, I'll see you Friday night but I need to get back to work." Rory hung her phone up after bidding her mother a simple see you Friday.

Rory and Jess had talked a few times on the phone. They never really covered much of anything of importance. They'd talk about their day, about the weather but never about that weekend. The conversation was always light. Jess would mention that he looked a few more places up. Even over the phone Rory could tell that Jess really had changed.

Rory had spent a few days a week in Washington Square Park. It wasn't far from where she lived. She'd sit on the same bench that she saw Jess on. It took her sometime to find it but once she had found the bench it was the only bench would sit on. She'd spend hours sitting there lost in a book or watching the people around her. She had no intentions of telling Jess this either.

With getting her work caught up from when she went to Jess and then getting everything together for when she was gone Friday had literally jumped at her.

"You gonna tell us where you were last Friday?" Shirley asked picking at her food. Rory sat in the break room on her lunch break. Shirley had started the same time as Rory. They went a couple of days during the week just to unwind and have a drink with friends. Shirley had dark brown eyes and dark blonde hair. She was slim and stood a little over 5 feet.

"You weren't sick. We went by your house," Bailey threw in. Bailey started a year after Rory. She had blue eyes and jet black hair.

"I went to Philadelphia to see an old friend," A smile graced Rory's lips. It felt good to actually tell someone who even if they didn't know the whole history.

"Was it a guy?" Bailey asked scooting closer. "It had to be a guy."

"Seriously you don't pick up everything on a Thursday night for just anyone. It was totally for a guy," Shirley stated deadly serious.

"Yes it was a guy. An ex to be exact." Even thinking back to the fresh memories brightened her smile.

"Rory someone's down in the lobby for you." Rory gave Jay a smile of thanks.

"Were you expecting anyone?" Rory shook her head at Shirley's question. No one had ever showed up at her work for her. She took care of her mess and headed to the elevator. It was a bit puzzling.

"What are you doing here?" Rory asked with a smile playing on her lips. She was beyond shocked to see Jess waiting for her. At one point he would have stood out like a sore thumb but now he fit in and it really did suit him.

"I was around," Jess replied with a shrug. "You free?"

"I still have some time for lunch. Just let me go up and get my things."

"Nah, it's on me, if we get anything," Jess replied steering Rory out into the crowded street.

"Have long have you been here for?" Rory asked as they walked.

"A few hours. Been looking for the place to call the new Truncheon. I think I found the perfect place. Matt and Chris are gonna come down tomorrow morning and check it out and we'll go from there."

"That's excellent Jess." She was happy for him and with the little time she had spent with him, all the change he went through suited him.

"Yea so dinner with the grandparents still?" Jess asked with a quirked eyebrow stuffing his hands in his pants pockets.

"I go twice a month or at least try to. It's an every other week thing. Since I missed two weeks in a row, I kinda need to go tonight though it's just gonna be me and mom," Rory explained to him. She didn't have to go every week. They were ok once a month but Rory wanted to spend as much time as she could with both Emily and Richard. Time wasn't exactly on their side.

"You guys still best friends?"

"I guess," A soft sigh escaped Rory's mouth. They were still close even with the distance between them.

"You guess? What's going on there?"

"I have talked to my mother a few times since Philadelphia but I have yet to tell her that I went and why," Rory explained biting her lip.

"You can't ruin the surprise of us showing up together." Jess nudged her shoulder with his. "I already told Luke I had a date." Rory's eyes went big. "Relax I didn't say who just that he'd see at the wedding."

"Right. My mom hasn't asked about me bring anyone yet, but I'm sure it's coming." For weeks Rory has been doing everything she could to avoid that topic.

"You do plan on telling Lorelai about us being friends again, right?" There rekindled friendship was hanging in the air here. He couldn't keep being friends with Rory if she couldn't be honest about him.

"Right down to the fact that I went looking for you," Rory stopped pulling Jess to look at her. "I'm not ashamed to be friends with you again Jess. Our messed up past is our story to tell. We can fix it now or leave it be."

"I just wanted to make sure," Jess replied. He was all for fixing everything. He wanted to see where this thing between him and Rory was going to go.

"I should get back to work," Rory suggested not moving from her spot.

"You can always play hookie," Jess suggested with a wink.

"Tempting, but you made me leave my things and I'm gonna be gone for two weeks as it is," Rory replied.

"For?" Jess didn't wanna put too much thought behind it. She had already stated she was single so it could be for work.

"I get to watch my siblings well they're on their honeymoon."

"Huh." Jess was smiling on the inside. Two weeks of hell was looking a lot better. "You don't wanna be late getting back to work."

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Rory asked. "I'm leaving right after work for Stars Hollow," She further explained.

"Give me a call when you get back."

"Will do." They shared a brief hug before Rory went back the way they had come from. She had expected to get bombarded with questions from Shirley and Bailey but they were nowhere to be found.

Rory found herself being a few minutes early. She was able to leave work early. Traffic outside of New York moved faster and there were a few times Rory had the road to herself. Rory pulled up to the crap shack just as the pizza guy was arriving. Rory paid for the pizza.

"Mom!" Rory called out walking through the front door.

"In here fruit of my loins." Lorelai called out from the living room.

"Since when did diner become movie night? Where are the twins?" Rory asked looking around seeing that no one else was there. She found that weird. They were always around to cause trouble.

"Since forever child of mine. Ooo goody you got the pizza. Camping in the apartment above the diner."

"What movies are we watching?" Rory asked placing the pizza on the table between the marshmallows and Chinese. "Luke's idea?"

"Yep. Casablanca and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's been ages."

They watched Casablanca first. Lorelai turned the movie off when the end credits started to roll. She turned to look at Rory. With it just being the two of them, this was the perfect time to tell Rory.

"I don't want you to be threw off and I really don't know where we stand on the whole Jess issue." Rory could see the nerves rolling off her mom.

"We can talk about him. Why?" Her mind started to race a mile a minute. Was it possible that her mom knew about the time she had been spending with Jess?

"He's the best man and Luke said he was bringing a date. It's been years since you guys dated and the whole kiss in Philadelphia, I just wasn't sure where you stood with him." It was all rushed but Rory had caught it all. The breath she had been holding in came out.

"Let him bring whoever he wants, I've got a date myself." The words had came out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.

"Tell mommy who the guy is."

"He's just a friend at the moment."

"Does Mommy know him?" Rory shrugged.

"How am I suppose to know all the people you know?" Rory asked back as her reply. She could feel the inside of her cheek starting to become raw from chewing on it.

"Why wont you tell your dear old mother who the guy is?" Lorelai faked a look of hurt.

"I want you to be the judge of him when you see him. I can't do him justice." She was really hoping that Lorelai would buy that and drop this whole thing. She couldn't hold the truth out much longer.

"Are you only bring him because you don't wanna dance with Jess?"

"No. I didn't even know Jess was part of the wedding until a few minutes ago." Lies, lies and more lies. Rory couldn't wait until she could be up front about Jess. Why couldn't her mother be like Luke and drop it at that? Why did she need to keep going? "How about we watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory now?"

"Oh alright. But I best like this mystery man," Lorelai replied starting the movie. Rory found it hard to focus on the movie. Thoughts about her mother freaking out on her when she showed up on Jess's arm. Rory hated going around the topic of Jess being her date. Of course Lorelai would keep pushing the topic. But her and Jess agreed to keep it a secret didn't they? "Sweets are you ok?"

"Yea I'm just tired. Do mind if I call it a night?"

"Sure thing, if I'm not here, I'll be at Luke's." Rory nodded giving her mom a hug. "Night sweets."

"Night mom," Rory replied retreating off to her room. Lorelai couldn't bring herself to change Rory's room not after the whole Gigi thing. Instead they redid the upstairs adding two more rooms for the twins.


	7. Chapter 7

Rory had went to Luke's to see her siblings and Luke before heading back to New York. Luke gave her coffee to go mumbling the whole time it would be the death of her. In that moment she realized how much she missed being in Stars Hollow. She was really looking forward to being home in Starts Hollows for two weeks, it would do her some good to spend time with her brother and sister. She hadn't spent much time with them since they were born. She hardly ever saw Gigi these days. Things still weren't prefect with her dad. She had grown to understand she would never have a perfect relationship with him. No one in New York told her about the death the rich black liquid would bring her. Maybe one day years from now she would move back to the Hollow but for now New York was her home.

Rory sent Jess a text telling him where she lived and that she'd take care of diner for the night. Walking into her place Rory went to her fridge and pulled out the chicken that was in the there. She placed it in her fridge before she left for work yesterday morning. Rory looked around her place to see what needed to be cleaned. She could dust but nothing was dusty, she vacuumed yesterday. Dishes were in the dish washer. Everything was still in its place. She really didn't have time to mess her place up. There just wasn't anything to do. She jumped hearing her phone ring.

"Hello?" Rory asked forgetting to check the screen of her phone.

"Hey, you home?" Jess asked from the other end of the phone. A smile tugged at his lips as he took a few more steps, reaching his destination.

"Uh yea, why?" Rory asked back hearing a faint knock. She got up from her couch going to see who was on the other side of her door. The only person she was expecting was Jess. It wasn't like Christopher to stop in announced. He always called first.

"I wanted to make sure," Jess said hanging up his phone seeing the door open. "that you were home before I knocked."

"You've become so wise," Rory told him with an eye roll stepping a side to let him.

"I've always been this wise, the huh's have covered it up quite nicely for me," Jess told her. "You got a nice place here." Jess looked around a smile coming out seeing the pictures that were spread out everywhere.

"Thanks," Rory replied leaning against a wall. "That's actually my favorite picture," she told him noticing that he was looking at a picture of them from when they were 17. She was still with Dean at the time but the both sat at the same table in the dinner. Their eyes were locked on each others as they were engrossed about something.

"What were we talking about?" Jess asked with half a chuckle. He remembered the day just not the conversation. Most days he had spent with Rory back then he remembered, what they talked about, that was a bit harder to remember. He didn't even need to look at the picture to know how excited she was that day well they talked after she got home from school. She was actually supposed to be with Dean doing something but she had blown him off for her. He faintly remembered she had said something about him being busy, but they had been in the same spot for an hour and Dean walked by the diner a handful of times.

"I'm not really sure, could've been a million different things really," Rory told him. It was one of the days she wanted to spend time with Jess and talk about books and the world without having to explain everything. She had told Dean she need Jess's help with a paper on the horrible Hemingway. She had promised to make it up to him over the weekend. Dean hadn't liked it but he couldn't stand in her way of school. "I was happy back then, really happy," she admitted.

"You saying you're not happy now?" Jess asked placing the picture back.

"In this moment I am, but after you leave probably not, don't flatter yourself Mariano, it's just I'm here alone all by myself. It gets a bit depressing at times," Rory explained hoping he would understand what she meant.

"I get it, Ror, I live alone too. It's not everything it's cracked up to be. No one to wake in the night to explain your crazy ass dream to, no one to comfort you after the worst day of your life," Jess replied walking to the couch.

"Exactly, growing up you wanna be out on your own and when you get there you wanna be home to have that company. Roommates?" Rory questioned. Joining Jess on the couch. "Can't be trusted, I roomed with Paris but I knew her, I'm not gonna room with some stranger," Rory answered her own question not giving Jess time to.

"You could get a boyfriend?" Jess told her keeping his emotions out of it.

"I could but," Rory chewed her lip looking at Jess. "it's complicated." That seemed to be the easiest way to describe it after all. She wanted to see how things went with Jess before she made the decision to move past what they had or if he really was the one.

"Complicated, that it is," Jess replied. "What do I win for saying your place was covered in photos?" Jess asked changing the topic.

"A special meal of BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, caramelized carrots with diner rolls. Ice cream and apple pie for dessert," Rory told him. "What?" She asked looking at him seeing the expression cross his face.

"You cook?" Jess asked taken back. "You lived off take out, Luke's and Sookie's. I find it hard that you can cook,"

"I can and you'll love it, you'll see," Rory told him.

"This is something I need to see to believe. It wont kill me will it?" Jess asked a smirk playing on his lips.

"Keep it up and it just might," Rory told him a smirk of her own coming out.

"Am I allowed to help you in the kitchen or am I gonna be banished to the living room?"

"Help if you want, I'm not gonna make you," Rory told him getting up. "You are my guest after all, do as you please," Rory told him walking to the kitchen. He tried not to think about the things he really wanted to do. None of it involved cooking. He had to take this slow and his feelings needed to be put aside for now.

"I do wanna see you in action," Jess smirked walking into the kitchen behind Rory.

Jess had helped Rory after all. He took the fresh carrots from the fridge and sliced them. It felt so natural for them to be working so close together in the kitchen. Jess had even offered to go to the local liquor store and get some wine. He took Rory's keys. Rory finished the food and got the table set. Jess let himself back in. He put Rory's keys on the counter where he found them and poured wine in the glasses. Everything about this dinner felt right. It felt natural to both of them.

"How was dinner with your mom?" Jess asked cutting into a piece of chicken.

"She asked about you and where I stood," Rory told him. "She informed that you were bring a date to the wedding and that you are Luke's best man. She didn't want things to be awkward."

"You tell her I'm your date?" Rory shook her head. "You lied to your mom?"

"Not technically, I told her I had a date, I didn't confirm or deny she knew you and she could be the judge when I show up on your arm next weekend."

"You learned how to be sneaky, you know she's gonna flip," Jess replied a smile on his face.

"Maybe once she comes home from her honeymoon, but she'll try not to let it ruin her wedding. It's been years in the making, nothing will ruin it now," Rory told him.

"I don't believe that for a second," Jess told her. He really didn't wanna fight with her over this. He didn't know Lorelai any more. Just what Luke had told him and now recently what Rory has said. She may have changed over the years but she wouldn't start liking him now. "This is really good, I didn't know you had it in you," Jess smirked pointing to the food with his fork.

"You've changed and she'll see that, Jess," Rory told him reaching out to place her hand on his. "I told you so, with my mom it was easier to get take out or go to Luke's or have Sookie make us things if we were in a pinch, that's all I knew for so long." She had cooked for Dean once to prove a point, she enjoyed it but back then it wasn't something she wanted to do every night. Even now she got take out most nights. But with Jess. Well with Jess she could cook every night of the week. "I've picked a few thing up over the years and they've stuck, cook books help too," Rory told him.

"They can help a lot," Jess retorted keeping Rory's hand on his. His thumb caressed the tips of her fingers. Everything about tonight felt so intimate.

"Did Matt and Chris like the spot you found?" Rory asked ignoring the butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

"They did actually, so I get to stay until Monday afternoon to put a bid in on the place."

"You'll get it, Jess."

"I'm not really worried about it. It will all play out," Jess told her. "Do you need help cleaning this mess up?" Jess asked moving his hand from Rory's, he suddenly felt cold.

"Uh, no I'll get the left overs put in the fridge and the dirty dishes in the dish washer," Rory told him getting up. With very little protest from Rory, Jess helped Rory clean up.

"New York still as interesting from when we 17 and you skipped school?" Jess asked joining Rory on the couch, handing her a cup of steaming coffee.

"Yes and no," she replied taking a sip. "I swear I've seen everything a dozen times. People are always fun to watch. I know Washington Square park was your place so I hope you don't mind I kinda took it over. Same bench and everything," Rory confessed.

"Huh, same bench?" Jess asked getting Rory to nod her head. He didn't mind. How could he? It wasn't his park. "I haven't been there in years," Jess told her. He went after he wanted Rory to run away with him and the park reminded him too much of Rory and then he couldn't stand the place.

"I'll show you tomorrow," Rory told him brightening up. Jess couldn't help but smile.

"I'd like that," Jess replied. "Read any good books lately?" Jess asked wanting to keep the topic light. He didn't come this weekend to fight with Rory, he really didn't have anything to fight about and he wanted it to stay that way.

"Oh have I," Rory told him getting sucked into the world of literature. They spent the rest of the night talking about books.

Jess had fell asleep on the couch and Rory didn't have the heart to wake him up. Instead she covered him up with a blanket and got things turned off and locked up for the night before retreating to her room. It wasn't until after she was ready and in bed that Rory felt at ease knowing that Jess was there to keep her safe. She was determined to make the most of tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

"You sure this is the same bench?" Jess asked. Just like promised the night before they went to Washington Square park. That morning had been a different one. It wasn't like Jess was waking up in Rory's hotel room from drinking too much at the bar. No, he had woke up in Rory's apartment sober. It would have been rude of him to leave, especially since they made plans to spend the day together. Instead he dug through her pantry and made pancakes, bacon and eggs for breakfast. Rory hadn't joined Jess until he had made a fresh pot of coffee. They both made jokes. After they had eaten, Rory took a shower letting Jess check in with Matt and Chris. Before they went to Washington Square park they stopped off so Jess could shower and change. He had even checked out with promises of being able to spend the night at Rory's place.

"I'm sure," Rory told him. "I had came the same way when I skipped school." She needed to have some kind of familiar in her life, when she first moved to New York. She may have only spent a few hours on the bench with Jess but to her it was just this bench that made her feel closer to Jess. It was the only bench in the whole park that made her feel like that.

"Clever, is that your Yale education paying off?" Jess asked with a mocking tone.

"Mock all you want Mr. I don't need a college education," Rory replied.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to recreate that day, Rory," Jess told her. "It's one good memory we both have and it doesn't feel right," Jess replied. To much bad had filled the gap between then and now. That day was a magical one, it was ment to stay a memory of their past, not to be recreated.

"I get it, Jess. We are past the kiss right?" Rory asked looking at the ground. They had talked about it and moved past it. But Rory had to know if Jess was really over it.

"That was one little thing, Ror. Are we past me leaving for California without a word? Or how about all the times I called you and never saying anything to you? When I showed up and pronounced my love for you? How about the time I wanted you to run away with me?" Jess asked back looking at her. This was their past, it was there to haunt them. Together they could over come their twisted past and be happy.

"It's in the past, Jess. If anything was to happen with us, I'd have that doubt there but that doesn't mean I'd listen to it. You've changed a lot over the years. You grew up and it suits you well. I hardly doubt you'd run off when things get tough," Rory told him looking up at him. "Are you past me hurting you?"

"I really am. This is our chance to start fresh," Jess replied a smile coming to his lips. He had been waiting years for this to happen. He tried to move on and he failed.

"It is," Rory replied. "You thought about where you would live when you get the place?" Rory asked feeling it was safe to move past their current conversation.

"A hotel until I find a place. I'll figure things out when it all falls into place. I'm not going to get my hopes up until I have the keys in my hand. It can go any way. You know that," Jess replied. He wasn't going to get ahead of himself here. It was a long shot waiting to happen. Who was to say that Matt hadn't talked Chris into opening a bar back in Philly with him being gone. He was banking on that to happen. He wanted this second store. He just knew how persuasive Matt could be and without him there to keep Chris on track, he would let Matt talk him into the bar plus many other things.

"Either way, I have a spare room. If you ever find that you need a place to crash, as long as I'm home you got it," Rory told him. That was part of being friends. "Hotels do cost a lot unless you go with a crappy hotel but that's just disgusting, you might catch something," Rory added as an after thought. "Like a hooker," she joked nudging Jess.

"I've never needed a hooker. Thanks for that Rory and if you ever find yourself in Philly for egg rolls you are more than welcome to crash at my place," Jess replied. The once clear blue sky had turned black with clouds. "We should get back to your place before we get soaked," Jess said getting up. "You're sure it's ok I stay this last night at your place?" Jess asked picking his bag up.

"I really don't mind, Jess. It'll be good to spend time together before the wedding. Do you know who is running Luke's well he is gone?" Rory asked as they walked.

"How would I know? Just because he's my uncle doesn't mean we hold hands and tell secrets. He is your step-dad after all, shouldn't you know?"

"When I do talk to him, he doesn't talk about the diner. And when I did ask him about it, he was nervous and avoided the conversation using my brother and sister as his excuse. So with that behavior I have to think that it's you, I don't know anyone else he would leave his business to well he's gone other than Cesar but he's already gone. The only person Luke gets uncomfortable talking about to me is you," Rory told him.

"Huh," was Jess's reply.

"Jess, why wont me tell me?" Rory whined.

"Tell you what, Rory? I don't know why Luke was acting all nervous for. I do however know who is looking after Luke's well he is gone."

"It's you isn't it?" Rory asked jumping in front him.

"Whoa, Rory!" Jess exclaimed with a small laugh. "Yes it's me, why are you so excited?"

"Because we have 2 whole weeks to spend together, Jess." Rory was worried about being able to find time after he had left the wedding and now he would be around for two weeks. Of course she was excited for that.

"With two little rugrats," Jess reminded her.

"They go to a pre-school in Hartford 2 days a week for a couple of hours. Even though I'll be there to watch them, they still go to day-care during the day. I can't break their schedule, so I'll be free everyday," she informed him.

"I see, aren't you the lucky one," Jess replied with sarcasm. "I get to deal with a town that hates me,"

"I don't hate you, so you'll have me, for everyone else you know how to deal with them. You wont have to deal with Dean, he moved back to Chicago years ago," Rory told him. Jess wanted to know if he would have to deal with Dean but he wasn't quite sure how to bring him up in their conversation.

"I don't care about the towns people or farmer Fred. I'm doing this for Luke. After everything he has done for me, I owe him this much," Jess told Rory holding the door open for her. They had got into the lobby of Rory's apartment building just as the clouds let loose sending a down pour of rain drops to the warm ground.

"That's the spirit," Rory laughed seeing the funny look on Jess's face.

"Was it your life long dream to be a cheerleader?" Jess asked coming to a stop at Rory's apartment door.

"Uh no, never," Rory replied putting her key in the lock and turning it. "So the spare room is actually my office. That's why there's a desk in there but I found that I actually never use it, but feel free to use it if you uh need to."

"Ror, why would I need to use it for? I'm not here to do work. Why didn't you let me crash on that bed last night?"

"Inspiration hits any where any time. That much I do know. I didn't have the heart to wake you," Rory told him walking across her apartment to the spare room. She was also afraid he would leave and go back to his hotel room at the ungodly hour of 1 in the morning. It was easier to let him sleep on the couch. She wasn't worried about him not showing up. She was certain that if he had left last night he would've been at her door bright and early. She had kept the door to the spare room closed. Not only was it supposed to be her office but she had put odds and ends in there as well.

"What's with those boxes?" Jess asked eyeing the two boxes on the floor near the desk. Rory was beating herself up on the inside. She had forgotten they were in there. "Logan and uh Dean?" Jess questioned reading the names on the boxes. He was able to get rid of the things that reminded him of his past to move forward with Rory but she still had boxes filled with their things. Where was his box? "Wasn't I lucky enough to get a boyfriend box?" He asked in a teasing tone.

"No," Rory told him sitting on the bed. "I put things in the box because I didn't wanna be reminded of them. Logan had a few more but they found their way to the trash. Same with some things from Dean. What's in the boxes had meant something to me at one point."

"Why didn't I get box? Did I mean nothing to you?" Jess asked keeping his anger at bay.

"You meant the world to me. Everything I saw reminded me of you. Do you know where I can find a box to put the world in? You promised me the world back then, Jess. I can move past Dean, past Logan and the few other guys I dated. But no matter how many Jess boxes I made, I could never keep them locked away. I wanted to be reminded of you because I had never stopped loving you, no matter how many times I tried to tell myself that I no longer loved you, but it was a lie because I still love you," Rory told Jess pouring her heart to him. Jess sat down on the bed by her. Maybe he was wrong about Rory not being able to move past lost loves. She was still stuck on him like he was stuck on her.

"I wouldn't want you to put the world in a box. Rory," Jess said taking her smaller hand in his larger one getting her attention. "I never got over you, Rory. I tried, I think I did. I went on with life, tried to get married until I realized I didn't love her the way I loved you. I'm not over you either. I'm still very much in love with you as I was when we were 17," Jess confessed.

"Kiss me, Jess," Rory whispered. She was tired of fighting herself on this. Jess rested his forehead against hers.

"Are you sure?" Jess asked. Rory didn't answer, instead she firmly pressed her lips against his. It felt like their first kiss all over again. It was a soft kiss filled with love. When the kiss ended their lips tingled. Where did this leave them?


	9. Chapter 9

After the kiss Rory had excused herself and went straight to her bed. She kissed Jess! She kissed Jess and enjoyed it. She didn't want the kiss to end but knew better than to let things go any further. She honestly didn't think it would be so easy to admit her feelings so freely to him. Let alone admit them to him so soon. She wanted to call her mom and tell her what happened but not only didn't Lorelai know about her spending time with Jess, she didn't even know they had been friends for the past 2 Weeks now. Rory fell back on her bed with a heavy sigh. That one simple kiss had felt amazing, that made it seem like she had never been kissed before in her life, could screw everything up between her and Jess. The was the last thing she had wanted to happen.

Jess laid back on the bed a smile spread across his lips. That one little perfect kiss could potentially changing everything. His smile slowly faded and he sat up rubbing his face. This wasn't how it was suppose to play out. He couldn't take their kiss back, he really didn't want to either. He couldn't ignore the energy that had flowed through his veins either. It had happened, they both wanted the kiss. Jess alone had been fighting the urge to touch her since she walked back into his life. To hold her, to call Rory his. It wasn't reality, he could see that now. Just because they had this attraction to one another didn't mean they were ever destined to be together. They hadn't worked back then, what made them think they would work out now? People grow up and change. Some people grow closer together but more times outta none people grow apart. Maybe this was just their fantasy before reality crashed down around them. Maybe they weren't meant to be together or even friends. Rory was worth fighting for. That's all he needed to know.

Needless to say they both had a rough nights sleep. Rory knew it would have been better to stick around and talk things out with Jess but she couldn't face him. She wasn't sure what she wanted the kiss to mean or what she wanted them to be.

_Jess,_  
_Had to go to work early this morning. Feel free to make yourself at home. I left an extra towel in the bathroom. Come and go as much as you need to today before you head back to Philly. I'll leave my spare key for you to use. If I don't see you before you head back, drive safe. Also, Jess I really did want that kiss last night, so uh don't think otherwise. I'll see you soon. Please lock up when you leave._  
_Rory_

Jess laid awake in the bed. He sighed hearing the door close and the place around him going quiet. Waiting a few minutes, Jess pushed himself out of bed. Jess pulled the door open hearing the creak. He stepped out into the short hallway in only his boxers on. He didn't see the point in getting dressed since Rory had left for the day. Avoiding him. He wanted to confront her about it but he wasn't in the place to push her. He skimmed over the note Rory had left for him. He hadn't realized a faint smile had formed on his lips.

Rory was in such a hurry to leave she had forgotten her bag on the kitchen chair. Their was no way she could leave it home, she did need it. She was hoping that Jess was still in bed sleeping.

Jess had just placed the note back on the table when the door swung open. A smirk came out to play seeing the blush forming on Rory's cheeks. He wanted to pull her tight against his body and do everything he could imagine to her.

"I..uh..um," Rory stuttered biting her lip. Her eyes had traveled over Jess's well-toned body. She could see the slight erection under the thin cloth of his boxers. It was making her wet, her body ached to be touched by him. "My bag," Rory said clearing her throat. Her eyes never leaving him. Jess glanced down to see what had Rory's attention. His eyes grew huge and he squirmed under her gaze. But he didn't let Rory see that.

"You uh, don't wanna be late," Jess said gaining her attention in a completely different way.

"No, I don't," Rory said walking to the chair her bag sat on. She hoisted the bag onto her shoulder. "Bye, Jess," Rory said quickly walking to the door. The sooner she was out the sooner she could compose herself.

"Bye, Rory," Jess replied. With the door closed Jess hurried to the shower. He had a slight problem that needed to be taken care of. Rory collapsed against the wall, letting the breeze cool her off. She fought every muscle in her body from going back up there. All she could picture in her head was a very naked Jess.

"Ma'am are you alright?" Rory straightened up looking at the older gentlemen.

"I'm fine, sir," Rory told him with a reassuring smile. Rory watched as the old man walked off. Taking a deep breath Rory pushed herself off the brick wall and started her journey to work. Once at her desk, Rory kept to herself and kept busy with the articles that covered her desk. The less time she spent talking to her friends the less time she would be able to think about Jess and that kiss last night. The last she thing she wanted to do was relive the very awkward moment she had with Jess this morning.

Jess had finished up with his meeting earlier then he had expected. He could head back to Philly and be there in the late afternoon or he could try to clear the air with Rory. The latter of the two seemed to be the best option. The harder he tried not to think about it, the more it stayed in his head. He walked into the Times seeing the same lady from before.

"Hello, Rory Gilmore please?" Jess asked putting a smile on his face.

"One moment please," the lady replied going back to the phone call she was on.

"I can just go up if you tell me what floor she is on," Jess said only for the lady to hold a finger up. Jess sighed turning around. "Funny running into you here," Jess said walking up Rory.

"Jess?" Rory questioned spinning around.

"The one and only," he smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Rory questioned with a small gulp. Trying to ignore the events of the last 24 hours wasn't going as easily as she had thought. But she hadn't expected Jess to show up at her work place for the second time.

"I figured we could get a bite to eat and talk about things before I head home," Jess told her stuffing his hands in his pockets. This time is wasn't outta habit it was because he had to resist the urge to touch her.

"I was just going to get a coffee and something for lunch. Anything in particular you want for lunch?" Rory asked walking to the door. Jess a step behind her. She couldn't avoid this forever. Especially after last time. She wanted that kiss too and like last time she had ran away from the problem. This time he came after her. The least she could do was talk to him. Maybe things would be different if he had chased her then.

"A slice of pizza is good with me, I know you don't have much time. Why don't you go get your coffee and I'll get the slice's," Jess told her.

"You want anything?"

"A black coffee is fine," Jess told her. Rory nodded and headed into the coffee shop to get their coffee.

"One black coffee," Rory said joining Jess on the bench.

"One slice of pizza," Jess replied handing Rory her slice and taking his coffee.

"I wanted to kiss you, Jess, I can't stress that enough. We've kissed before but it's never felt that good before. I wanted to take things slow," Rory said picking at the crust on her slice. "I screwed that up."

"We can still take things slow, Rory. A kiss doesn't change that. But we need to find a middle here, I want more than a friendship here," Jess replied turning to look at her. Love seemed so much easier at 17. All he had to do then was make her jealous so Rory could see she had feelings for him. Now it wasn't that easy or childish. That's not saying it was wrong of him to use Shane that way.

"So do I, Jess," Rory told him. "But," Rory started to say only to lose her nerve.

"You don't wanna get hurt by me again?" Jess asked knowing it was the reason before Rory had ever nodded her head. "Tell you what, we're gonna be in the same town for 2 weeks, lets use that as a trial run. If everything goes smoothly, we'll figure us out in the real world." It was a shot in the dark but to Jess it felt right. He was grabbing at straws here and it was the only thing he could think of. We will see how things go just didn't sound right considering they lived in two different states.

"Ok," Rory told him. "If anyone wants us apart it would be all of Stars Hollow except Luke." Rory knew how hard it would be but she didn't care about them. She had to figure out exactly what was left between her and Jess. She had to know if she could move past him or if she would be moving on with him. "If we can get through two weeks in Stars Hollow we can get through anything," Rory told him. She knew how much more the townspeople hated Jess now. Their hate had grown a lot after he had hurt her, their town princess.

"This does mean you're gonna have to tell your mom about us, Rory. Before she leaves for her honeymoon," Jess told her. He knew that the 2 Weeks in the insane asylum of Stars Hollow was gonna be hard enough but now that he would be there dating Rory it was going to be even harder.

"I will when we show up together. About that?" Rory asked looking up at him.

"In order to show up together, we actually have to arrive together?" Jess guessed.

"Pretty much, yeah. I need to be there Thursday afternoon to help get things set up for the rehearsal dinner."

"I need to be at that too, Rory," Jess reminded her.

"Right, so how are we going to do this?"

"I can leave early from Philly and meet you here in New York and we can ride to Stars Hollow together." Jess suggested. "Or I can show up later and you and Lorelai can be at Luke's and you can be all excited to see me,"

"I like both idea's. Can I have a few days to think about it?" Rory asked.

"Of course, you can, Rory," Jess answered her back with a small chuckle.

"I hate to do this but work is calling my name," Rory said getting up.

"Nah, it's fine. I need to go get my things and get back to Philly before Matt talks Chris into doing anything stupid if already hasn't," Jess told Rory getting up. "At least let me walk you back to work." Rory smiled throwing her trash away. They walked back in silence.

"Hey, Jess?" Rory asked getting his attention. He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm happy you showed up here and made me talk to you. It was wrong of me to bail last night and this morning." Even talking about their encounter this morning brought a light rose tint to Rory's cheeks.

"I got it, Rory," Jess told her. "You needed time to sort things out. It wasn't expected."

"It really wasn't," Rory agreed with him. But she had wanted to kiss him for some time now. Jess kissed her cheek.

"It's alright, Rory. I'll talk to you later."

"Yea, later," Rory told him going inside the Times. The worst part was always when one of them left. No matter how awkward or how many fights they had been in. She hated to walk away from him and having him walk away from her wasn't a walk in the park.


	10. Chapter 10

"Honey, mommy needs you," Lorelai's stressed out voice came over the phone. "Come home."

"Mom, what's wrong?" Rory asked shutting her laptop to focus on her mother.

"Everything!" Lorelai exclaimed.

"I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on," Rory tried to reason with her mom.

"I gotta get the seating done for tomorrow nights rehearsal dinner. Luke is swamped at the diner, leaving the two terrors with me. I can't think straight," Lorelai stated going into a mini tirade.

"Mom!" Rory shouted. "I'll be there in a few hours, just go get coffee from Luke's," Rory directed her mother. She was able to leave work a few hours after she had showed up taking the next two and a half weeks off. Everything that needed to be done, Rory would do over the internet.

"Alright, that I can do," Lorelai said taking a deep breath. Rory cringed hearing glass shatter in the background. "I gotta run sweets," Lorelai said hanging up. Rory tossed her phone on the couch and went to pack her things. She groaned hearing her cell start to ring. A smile came out to play seeing the name flash on the screen.

"Hey, Jess," Rory greeted pulling some shirts out of her closet.

"Hey, Rory," Jess replied relaxing on his couch. "What are you doing? This isn't a bad time is it?"

"Sort of," Rory told him "I'm packing for Stars Hollow. Mom's freaking out. You?" Rory asked getting jeans packed away.

"Nothing at the moment. I was calling to see if you had figured out if we were riding together tomorrow or not. But my question is already answered."

"It would have been fun but a crisis needs to be averted. You'll just have to let me know when you'll be at Luke's tomorrow."

"I'll call when I'm a few minutes away. Enough time for you to get to Luke's from any where in town."

"What if I'm busy and I can't get away?" Rory asked making sure she had packed everything she would need.

"I'll drive in circles or something. I was good at avoiding people when I was 17, can't be any harder now. So I don't waste gas, I'll call when I'm about an hour away," Jess told her paying for his take-out.

"That sounds better," Rory told him getting the garment bag that held her dress. "Jess, I gotta let you go," Rory said moving her belongs to the front door.

"I'll talk to you and see you tomorrow," Jess told her hanging up. He was really dreading the next two weeks of his life. But Luke had taken him in when neither one of them wanted him to be there. Luke put up with his 17 year-old angsty self longer then he needed to. All the crap he had put Luke through he owed it to Luke to look after his diner well he was away.

Rory got her things in her car. She went back up to her apartment to recheck she had everything. Once she was certain she had everything she headed out for her drive to Stars Hollow. For the majority of the way she tried to work through how she would tell her mom about her and Jess spending time together the last two weeks and how she had kept it from her, to surprise her at her wedding. Thinking about it now though, it didn't seem like the best idea. She really didn't wanna give her mom a heart attack on her special day. She told Jess that Lorelai wouldn't react to them being close again until after they got back but the truth she really didn't know. She had told her mom herself how much Jess has changed over the years and she knew that Luke had done the same thing. Lorelai just didn't wanna believe it. It did help to argue the points of Jess in her head though. She would let her mom know that she was friends with Jesse again, explain the sudden rash decision to drive to Philly and see Jesse again. She would just skip the part about Jess being her date to the wedding and them being a couple until afterwards. She couldn't and wouldn't ruin her mother's moment.

Clearing her head she pulled into her childhood home. It wasn't fair to call it the crap shack anymore though. Ever since Luke came along the house made a turn for the better. The place wasn't falling apart. Nothing was broken and everything worked the way it was intended to.

"Rory, dear," Babette said stepping outside her house. "You're mom is at Luke's. She wanted me to tell you."

"Thanks Babette," Rory yelled back giving her a wave. She started her walk to Luke's.

"Rory, do you think it would be possible if I watched little Willy and Auddy, well your mom is gone?" Kirk asked once he had caught up to her.

"Why?" Rory asked. When it came to Kirk it was always easier to ask then figure it out.

"Lulu is 4 months pregnant and I wanna get experience with watching kids. Can I? Luke and Lorelai already told me no. But I figured you would let me."

"Congrats, Kirk, but I'm sorry," Rory told him. "But since they told you no, I can't do it. They're a handful. You need to start off with a baby. Like those doll's they have kids use in school. Start there, Kirk," Rory told him dashing into Luke's. She really couldn't picture, Kirk as a father. "You could have warned me, that Kirk was gonna ask to watch my siblings!" Rory exclaimed taking the empty seat next to Lorelai at the counter.

"It's more fun this way," Lorelai smiled. "Luke we need coffee, two coffee's to go," Lorelai yelled into the kitchen.

"Lorelai, would you quiet down?" Luke asked walking out of the kitchen. "Hey, Rory."

"Hey, Luke," Rory responded. "Where's my siblings?" She asked looking around.

"Lane, came and took them for a few hours. She asked, they went with. Couldn't argue there," Lorelai told her with a shrug. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," Rory responded.

"How the two of you can drink your death is beyond me," Luke muttered pouring them coffee. "Your mother more like pawned them off on Lane," Luke clarified.

"I can go get them later," Rory offered.

"You do that, sweetie. I have one problem. I was able to figure out the seat charting all except the infamous Jess. He doesn't get along with anyone in town expect for Luke and I can't put him at the bride and groom's table. I would put him next to you, but that's a lot I'm putting on your shoulders with him being your ex and running off on you. I can't let you be the one looking after him, so you can see my dilemma here," Lorelai ranted off.

"I can see it, but I have no problem sitting by him. Actually I have to tell you something, mom and don't freak out on me either."

"Oh god don't tell me you're pregnant with that hoodlum's child!" Lorelai exclaimed a horrified look on her face. "Wait! That can't be it because you haven't seen him since your days at Yale, right?"

"Wrong," Rory sighed getting Luke's attention as well. Luke busied himself making a fresh pot of coffee.

"Come again?" Lorelai asked. She had feeling she wasn't going to like the next words out of her daughter's mouth.

"I owed Jess an egg roll the time the video store put my picture in the window. After remembering that fact I drove down to Philly to see him two weeks ago now, he was the reason I missed Friday night dinner at the grandparents house. This last weekend Jess was in New York, we hung out some more. We're friends again, mom. He has changed and you'll see that if you give him a chance." Hearing that his nephew was friends with Rory once more made a smile come to his face. Luke knew how head over heels Jess was for Rory since the boy was 17. Jess took after him when it came to love. Afraid to get hurt by the one person you love the most. Jess never did have the best role model's in his life when he was growing up. But after everything Jess made himself go through, he had found his way out of whatever it was he was dealing with. Luke was proud of the man his nephew has become.

"Honey, I'm not his biggest supporter in the world and I can hold a grudge but you're an adult now and I can't tell you who to be friends with. I'm more upset that you lied to me, about this," Lorelai told her daughter. Rory felt herself shrink tenfold.

"I'm sorry about that, I just didn't know how to tell you. Jess has always been a touchy subject for you, for me, for us."

"You sure the two of you wont get into a fight and run off during the wedding, needing to be the first one to run from the other?" Lorelai asked making light of their history together.

"We've talked and things are good between us," Rory informed her mom. "I'll make sure he doesn't misbehave at the rehearsal dinner, like you said and like everyone in this town knows, the only people who have ever got along with Jess is Luke and myself. If you want a disaster at your wedding seat him next to Taylor." Luke tried to stifle a laughter. Not that it worked. "It wouldn't be fair to seat him next to Miss Patty either."

"It's settled, you get the hoodlum at your table," Lorelai told her finalizing the details for tomorrow's run through. "Rory, please don't hesitate to tell me things. Just because Jess, isn't on the top of my favorite people list, doesn't mean I don't wanna be left out of your life."

"I know, but telling you things about, Jess was never easy. You always approved of Dean, as for Logan, well you grew to tolerate him. But you never gave Jess a chance."

"I gave him plenty of chances. He took the beer from my fridge when he was 17, he took the bracelet, Dean made for you, he ran away and never called you, he showed up outta the blue and said he loved you and took off again. He begged you to leave your life behind and run away with him. There's a lot there. He could have done things different. But he didn't."

"I can't excuse the beer but the bracelet fell off my wrist and I hadn't noticed until Dean said something about it. He was young and was still figuring things out. He did call me, he just never said anything. When it comes to the relationship I have with Jess, I made mistakes as well. Just please not only for me, or Luke even but for William and Audrey, you have to try to see past his hoodlum days. Give him this one last chance. I beg you," Rory pleaded with her. Rory needed her mom to be on board with giving Jess one last chance. It would only make things easier for her.

"All I can do is try. You two always believed in him and liked him. So I can't go on what you say. I need to see it." Rory was visibly happy to hear that. "I need to go check in with Sookie and Michel, you'll be fine?"

"I did grow up here," Rory replied.

"You never know," Lorelai shot back giving Luke a kiss.

"Hey, Rory, I'm happy to hear that you're friends with Jess again," Luke told her once Lorelai was out of sight. "I wanna say thanks for uh making Lorelai give him another chance. I know it wont be easy for her or for Jess."

"Let me worry about, Jess. One less hassle for you to worry about. It's nothing really, Luke. In some way he was always there for me. Pushing me to do what I wanted. He always found a way to come back into my life when I needed that extra little push," Rory replied finishing off her coffee. "I did miss having him as my friend."

"It's good," Luke replied with a smile. Rory smiled heading out. Luke wasn't the one she was worried about, when the news broke of her and Jess being a couple again. Lorelai was ok with her being friends with Jess again but it was going to be harder to get Lorelai on board of her dating Jess again. That conversation was going to be harder to have.


	11. Chapter 11

There wasn't much to do the next day, Lorelai and Sookie had everything taken care of. Luke was spending the day with the kids leaving Rory free to do as wished. She was going to visit with Lane but she was busy with band practice now that the kids were older and spent a few hours every day at play group. She couldn't even take a short drive to see Paris because she was still in Boston.

Rory went to the one place it was easy to let go and escape. The one place that would remind her of Jess. The same place she went every day for two weeks straight when Jess had left. She had hoped and wished to see Jess sitting there. Out of all the memories she shared with Jess, her favorite one was the day he had bought her basket. She hated the mess Jess had made for her with Dean and her mom. But the time they spent together on the bridge, eating pizza and at the bookstore it was one; if not the best day of her teenage years. She had no care in the world. She never really did with Jess. She had always felt so free and liberated with him. She could truly be herself around him and he wouldn't judge her because he was like her.

"Have you tried your hand at Hemingway?" Jess asked coming up behind her.

"Everyday for like a month after you left for California. I tried so hard because it reminded me of you. I wasn't ready to let you go. Then there was Yale when I had to read him. It was brutal. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to call when you got close?"

"I did call you, at least 20 times or better," replied Jess sitting on the bridge by Rory. "Remember our first trip here together?"

"How can I forget?" Rory asked a smile tugging at her lips. It amazed her how Jess had known her so well to bring up that one memory well she was thinking about it. She pulled her phone out seeing the missed calls from him. "Sorry I put it on silent when I was walking here. I really didn't wanna be bothered. I didn't realize that you'd be here so early. I thought I had hours yet."

"I haven't seen anyone. And if they've seen me they're staying hidden. So the plan is still on in some way. It is a hard memory to forget after all these years. Matt and Chris kicked me out before we opened this morning."

"It really is, I was just thinking about it actually. It was the day, you really let me see who you really were. Broke the wall you had built up. I really do cherish that. You trusted me enough to let me into your world. I don't think I have ever thanked you for that," Rory told him.

"You don't need to thank me, Rory. This town is filled with crazy people and you were the first one that was normal." Rory laughed at that causing Jess to chuckle. "For Stars Hollow, you are as normal as people come. The fact you had as many books as I did helped."

"I am normal!" Rory protested. "You're telling me you haven't seen Luke yet?"

"Nope, can't say I have. I showed up in this place, came straight here, though I wasn't expecting you to be here. Didn't you have to help Lorelai?"

"Her and Sookie kinda kicked me out. Everything they sent me to do, they'd do it themselves. They let me leave, and with nothing to do I came here."

"Wanna go to Luke's? Or something? I don't wanna make you think you gotta stay because I'm here." Rory shook her head.

"I'm not staying because I think I have to, I'm staying because I wanna stay," she informed him. "I talked to mom about us being friends. I didn't have the guts to tell her that we're kinda dating again."

"Kinda?" Jess asked quizzically.

"Isn't the next two weeks like a mini test run?" Rory asked fidgeting in her spot.

"That is what we agreed on. Playing house and all." Rory looked at him funny. "All the gifts they've been given so far are in the apartment above Luke's, so no room there, plus something about it being used as storage."

"Mom, didn't have the heart to get rid of the baby things from all three of us kids now, so it went to Luke's old apartment."

"Yeah, that and also your, Mom booked out the Inn this weekend, before she knew I was coming. The only solution, I stay at the house with you, I really didn't think you mind, you don't mind do you?" Jess asked cursing at himself for going on a mini spiel like the Gilmore that sat before him.

"Jess," Rory said gasping for air between laughs. "you've become," Rory got out before the laughter took complete control.

"Mock all you want, Gilmore. There will be a day, where you turn into a monosyllabic, Jess."

"Huh," said Rory getting Jess to chuckle lightly. "I've never heard you go into a mini rant like that one before, Jess. You would have never cared before."

"No, you think I wouldn't have cared. I would have acted like I didn't care but really I would have cared and I did care. I was afraid to show anyone who I was besides you. Letting people in never did me any favors, but I'm happy that I've let you in." Rory blushed at Jess's confession. It hadn't went unnoticed by Jess.

"I'm happy about that too," Rory confessed. Jess let a smile sit on his lips.

"Do you need me around when you tell your mom, we're a couple?" Jess asked turning serious once more. Rory shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I think with the history the two of you guys have, it's best I tell her alone. Oh," Rory said almost jumping up with excitement. "I forget to say, my mom is going to try her best to get along with you, I need you to do the same, Jess. It's for me and Luke, but also for your step-cousins."

"Should I mention how messed up our family is?" Jess asked.

"Evasive much?" Rory asked with a few giggles.

"Sounds about right," smirked Jess.

"And no you shouldn't mention that."

"I promise to be on my best behavior. I'm not that same 17-year-old boy anymore."

"I know that, Jess, but the second one starts in, the other one does it right back."

"It means that much to you?"

"Yes, if you can't get along with my mom, how are we ever going to work? I need this, Jess. I can't choose between the two of you and frankly, I don't wanna be put into the position where I'm forced to pick. I can't do that." Jess sighed running his hands over his face. He thought he could pretend to get along with Lorelai for the few days he would see her and never really worry about getting along with her. But seeing Rory about in tears over this meant he needed to do more than just try to get along with Lorelai.

"Rory," Jess said taking her hands in his. "I promise you, I'll do my best to fix things with Lorelai." Rory smiled pressing her lips against his. Hearing him say that meant the world to her.

"Now I can use some coffee." Rory jumped up looking down at Jess.

"I still haven't learned how your brain works, and I think it's best I don't. All I need to know is give you coffee every five minutes," responded Jess getting to his own feet.

"Actually, I don't drink that much coffee anymore. Still more than most but nothing like my mom unless I'm stressed or something," Rory clarified for him.

"Still nothing to a normal coffee consumption." They had fell into step next to one another. Their hands had found the others, their fingers locking together.

"What is normal consumption for coffee? Wouldn't it depend on the person you asked?"

"You do have a point, Gilmore."

"Don't I always?" Rory questioned with a smirk.

"Not always," retorted Jess.

"How come Matt and Chris kicked you out?" Rory asked as they walked through Stars Hollow.

"They didn't really say. They tried to keep my locked out and when I had managed to get back in, they shoved me out the door, telling me to have fun for the next two weeks," Jess explained pulling Rory to a stop a block from Luke's. Rory rose an eyebrow at him. "How do you wanna do this?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Lorelai is sitting at the counter," Jess pointed out.

"Oh, I would hate to see the vultures come out the second I walk away. They both know we're friends again. We can walk into together." Jess shivered just thinking about Miss Patty. He made sure their pace the last block was faster than their leisure pace. They walked into Luke's everyone looked up when the bell had jingled. No one said anything seeing Jess and Rory walk in holding hands.

"Hey, Uncle Luke," Jess said getting his Uncle's attention.

"Jess, hey, Rory?" Luke questioned seeing their hands together. "You guys must have been off skipping." Jess and Rory looked at Luke like he grew an extra head.

"Oh yea, you know I liked to hold holds and skip around town," Jess replied dryly figuring out what Luke had meant. Rory let his hand go sitting by Lorelai well Jess went behind the counter to hug Luke in awkward manner.

"Is there something you forget to mention to mommy yesterday?" Lorelai whispered turning to her daughter.

"No, I don't believe so," Rory told her mom shaking her head. "Where are the twins?"

"Now who's being like who?" Asked Jess with a smirk. Rory rolled her eyes.

"They're at play group in Hartford," a confused Lorelai answered her daughter.

"You hush it," Rory pointed a finger at Jess. "My private life isn't up for discussion at Luke's," stated Rory. "Coffee, please." Rory turned her attention to the two men behind the counter. Jess picked the full coffee pot up, spun on his toes and poured Rory a cup of steaming fresh hot coffee.

"Is your date for the wedding coming in later? She wont mind that you'll have to dance with Rory, will she?" Luke asked cleaning the other half of the counter.

"Would my date be offended that I be forced to dance with the gorgeous maid of honor?" Jess asked himself pointing the question towards Rory. "When does your date get in, Rory? He wont go over the top jealous, you get to be seen with the ruggedly handsome best man, will he?" Jess asked leaning against the counter on his elbows.

"Jess, does bring a good point up here, when does your date arrive?" Lorelai hated that she was on point with Jess here. She was trying to behavior herself. She had a ton of digs running through her head at this point. She wouldn't crack first. The second Jess made a comment about her, she would get him back.

"He got in earlier then I had suspected. He's not the jealous type, which is sad really," Rory replied shaking her head. "I'm not so sure ruggedly handsome fits for the best man." Jess let a chuckle escape his lips. "Would he be jealous?"

"Seriously, what are you two keeping from us?" Luke asked going around to refill people's cups of coffee.

"Not a thing, Uncle Luke. Why would you ask such a question?"

"You two keep going around in circles," came Luke's reply.

"Jess is your date," Lorelai said closing her eyes. "I need to go see how, Sookie is doing with the food for tonight." Lorelai quickly got up and hurried out the door.

"I wasn't expecting that reaction from her," replied Rory getting up.

"I thought it would have been worse," Jess told her. He had really thought that Lorelai would have done more than run out the door. But he put it down to the fact they were in a public place.

"It might be," Rory told him proceeding to rush out the door to track her mother down. Rory was hoping she could smooth this whole thing over with her mom without a huge blow out that was sitting in front of them. This was what she was scared of. She really hadn't expected Lorelai to go so quiet on her about this. It was going to take time for her to see how much Jess has changed over the years, that much she knew. Rory was hoping for the best here. She wanted things with Jess to work out and she could never go without her mother again. That was a dark time in her life. Her mother she be grateful that Jess had showed up and got her back into school. Rory shook the thought from her head. There was no need for her to bring that part of her past up again with her mom.


	12. Chapter 12

With Rory chasing down Lorelai, Jess felt it was best helping Luke out. He picked up the coffee pot and made the rounds. He easily fell back into his routine minus the part where he would take a break and be gone for hours. Since then he learned the quality of work ethic. He knew it back then to he just couldn't deal with the people, or really care about anyone but himself. The only person he looked out for was himself. He couldn't trust anyone besides himself. Over the years he had learned to trust Luke and Rory, it was easy to trust them. Others were still a work in progress. It took him years to fully trust Matt and Chris. But he had and its been working just fine for him. Any chance he had to make Dean jealous was worth it in the beginning. At first it was just to annoy Dean. It was so easy to get on Dean's nerves. After he got to know Rory beyond her book collection, he messed with Dean for Rory. Dean had never been on the same level as Rory. He didn't understand what Rory saw him. She was by far to good for Dean. She deserved to be with someone who belonged in her vast world of books. He may have done it for his benefit as well. He couldn't help himself. It was easy and fun.

"How did you put up with me for so long?" Jess asked placing the now empty coffee pot back. He got everything he needed to make a fresh pot of coffee.

"You were a minor, you needed some kind of guidance. You were acting out. I did what was best. Liz has always been my kid sister. I'd do anything for her," Luke explained grabbing a plate of food. "I'd do anything for you, Jess."

"Likewise." It was all Jess needed to say. It was fitting. For the next twenty minutes they worked in silence only communicating if necessary.

"You and uh, Rory?" Luke asked the second the diner was empty and they got a break.

"It kinda just happened. I don't need the fifth degree here, I still have the memo not to hurt her. I don't plan on doing that this time around. By some miracle I've been given a second chance with her and I'm going to make the most of it." He knew Luke would be ready to lecture him about hurting Rory again. People made mistakes, that's how you learn during your life time. He paid for the mistake he had made. And now? Now he was given a chance to rewrite the biggest mistake of his life. He shouldn't have ran away without talking to Luke or Rory. But he had and in the end it put him on the road he needed to be on.

"That's the most I've heard you say since, ever," Luke commented earning a small huff from his nephew. "Jess, I saw how upset you were when you thought you lost, Rory. You've punished yourself enough over the years for hurting her, I'm not giving you any threats or warnings," Luke shook his head tossing Jess a rag to help him wipe down the tables. "This time you know exactly what you are giving up. You're a smart kid, I have faith in you. I always have." In that moment Jess was certain that all the bad blood between them was truly gone. They had worked past it before, but now it felt different. They had fixed their relationship over the years. And it was nice to know Jess could always count on his Uncle for anything. He wasn't about to hold his Uncle's hand and skip around town. Luke had his back and Jess had Luke's back.

"Thanks, Luke. That really does mean a lot coming from you," one thing he learned over the years, it didn't ruin his street cred or his reputation for being polite and nice to the few people who were closest to him. "You of all people know what it's like to lose a Gilmore Girl."

"It's not a pretty feeling," Luke stated. It really wasn't a good feeling. Your insides felt like they were going to catch on fire. It slowly started in the pit of your stomach and worked its way through your body, at a slow cringe worthy pace. The feeling never left you. "You're uh welcome." Luke wasn't use to this side of Jess. Luke wasn't a very affectionate person to begin with. But manners were taught in the Danes home when his mom was alive. "How's Truncheon doing?"

"Good, we're hoping to expand another store in New York actually. Waiting on word for a place," Jess responded. He still hadn't heard back about the place. He tried not to think about it, but at times it was hard not to.

"Now, Jess," Luke sighed turning to look at his nephew. He took his hat off, raking a hand through his hair. "You're not doing this to be closer to Rory are you?" Luke didn't want his nephew to be one of those people who moved to a new place for someone. Especially this early in the relationship. "It would be understandable if the two of you had been dating for a few years. But you guys just back together." Jess shook his head laughing some. His uncle was slowing turning into Lorelai.

"I can't say, I've heard you ramble like that, Luke," Jess smirked. Luke gave his nephew a stern look.

"Let's be serious, Jess. I don't want to see you ruin everything you have, if things don't work out."

"I'm not ruining anything," Jess hissed through his teeth. He took a moment to calm down.

"Are you planing on moving to New York for, Rory?" Luke wasn't going to give up on this. He had to know. He still felt the need and want to look out for Jess.

"No," Jess stated flatly. It wasn't as the thought had never crossed his mind. Because it had. But opening a second store elsewhere had been in the talks for some time now. Jess couldn't picture Chris or Matt moving to New York. Sure it was a perk with Rory. It would be nice to be closer while they figured things out between them, but the move was no where close to him moving to be with Rory. "It's something that has been in the talks for some time now. You can't expand over night."

"Just checking," Luke replied. "Do I need to ask if, Rory was ok with you staying there? I am sorry about the apartment. I didn't think so much stuff would get stored up there over the last 2 months."

"Nah, it's fine. She don't mind, I don't mind but your wife might mind."

"She'll come around to it." At least that's what Luke was hoping for. When she stormed out of the diner she was looking pale. That could be from the stress or more so the fact that Rory had yet to tell Lorelai about her and Jess being an item again. "For Rory's sake, she will." Luke knew for a fact that Lorelai wouldn't cause trouble for Rory to cut ties with her again.

"For Rory," Jess said sitting at a table. He had to wonder if Lorelai was convincing Rory that he was no good. Rory would do almost anything for her mom. Lorelai would be able to talk in circles and make it seem like he was still that 17-year-old hoodlum that didn't have a future. Who didn't need school or need anyone. He was just a kid back then. He not only grew up over the years but matured as well. He really hoped Rory wouldn't fall for whatever Lorelai was saying about him.

"Jess, you have no reason to worry. Rory has her own mind." This Jess knew but it was Lorelai and Rory hated to disappoint her mother especially after the whole Yale incident. "You hungry?"

"BLT with a side of fries and a water," Jess ordered turning his attention to the window. He didn't want to worry but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to see Rory upset about this. Things were always easy with him and Rory until Lorelai needed to know. It was going to be even harder when the town found out that the town princess was once again with the town hoodlum that repeatedly hurt Rory. They never saw the pain that Rory had caused for him. In a way he wanted it to be left that way. He didn't want Rory's imagine in Stars Hollowian's eyes to be tainted. These next two weeks were going to be a challenge but if they could get through everything the town put them through they could deal with everything else. Luke walked to the kitchen to get the food made for Jess. A few minutes later Luke reemerged seeing a few townspeople sit down. Jess poured a mixture of salt and paper on his plate for his fries.

"I happened to get some cones," Luke announced sitting across from Jess. Everyone that had come in were taken care of and everything for the time being was taken care of.

"Cones?" Jess asked quirking an eyebrow with confusion at Luke's randomness. "Tired of Taylor or Kirk parking out front?" Jess asked with a smug smirk. "Do you have the light reflecting vest to go with them?"

"Not that kind of a cone smart-ass, do I look like Taylor?" Luke grumbled with a light chuckle.

"Don't answer that!" Luke stated seeing the look on Jess's face.

"Suit yourself," Jess smirked taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Cones for ice cream." Jess nodded. He had figured that out already. But it was always fun to mess with Luke.

"Don't trust me to eat ice cream and drive a car? Think I'm gonna crash my car and injury, Rory? Or anyone else?" Jess smirked.

"It's not that. I just know how important cones are for you and with everything you're doing for me, here, in the one place on earth you dread, it was the least I could do."

"I owe you a lot throughout the years Luke. You took me in when no one else wanted me. I owe you my life for that. If it wasn't for you, I could have gotten killed. I was with the rough crowd before coming here. Just because Liz was drunk and couldn't take care of me didn't mean she didn't see what I was doing."

"You're gonna sit here and tell me you didn't read all the time? That's kinda hard to believe." Luke asked shocked.

"I read a lot, but everyone needs a personal life as well." Luke nodded in agreement to Jess's answers.

"Speaking of Liz," Luke started only for Jess to stop him. He didn't need to hear the run down of Liz's life. He talked to her occasionally on the phone.

"I haven't seen her for a while now, but it's going to be hard to stay clear of her, TJ and Doula. I'll survive," Jess shrugged. He wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing them when he signed on to run the diner. But it was going to be inevitable. "Does TJ still make it easy to wanna rearrange his face?" Luke chuckled standing up. He patted Jess on the shoulder getting back to work. Jess looked behind himself to see Luke taking care of the customers. He would be able to stand Liz for a short amount of time but TJ would be another story. After the whole bachelor party incident, he still didn't get along with the man. He did everything he could do to avoid that man. He would suck it up and deal. That was all he could do. He was in Stars Hollow as a favor for Luke, he didn't intend to start any fights or drama with any of the townspeople. "I'll be back later," Jess informed Luke heading out the door. Stuffing his hands in his pockets Jess started to walk. He thought about going to the gazebo, but kept walking. He didn't stop until he got to the bridge.


	13. Chapter 13

Rory had caught up to her mom at the Inn. Rory had walked slowly behind her mom. She still wasn't sure what was going to say. It was no secret that Lorelai wasn't on the Jess wagon, this was the part she feared. She couldn't cut her mom out of life, that was hard the first time. She couldn't kick Jess to the curb either. She was finally at a place in her life where things could actually work out with him. She had to know one way or another. If he wasn't the one she wanted to know now so she could fully move and look for Mr. Right. If he was the right one like she assumed he was, she didn't want to waste any more years without him.

"You could have gave me a warning, Rory. A nice little heads up would have been good," Lorelai scolded her daughter.

"I know and I'm truly sorry for keeping it from you," Rory pleaded with her mom. Lorelai looked around knowing this wasn't the place to have this out with her daughter. Lorelai swiped the keys for the honeymoon suit out in the stables. The very exact room she had booked her parents for the test run. Rory quietly followed behind her mother to get her thoughts in order.

"Why couldn't you just come out and tell me that Jess was not only your date to my wedding but your new boyfriend?" Lorelai asked trying to keep her anger in check. "This is the same Jess that has done nothing but hurt you over the years, Rory. Why him?" Lorelai had always hoped that Rory was only going through her bad boy faze with Jess. She had thought the Jess faze was long gone by now. That her daughter had moved past him.

"I was scared to tell you, mom. You have never been on the Jess band wagon. He really has changed. Give him the second chance he deserves," Rory wasn't above begging and graveling. She would do whatever it took.

"Oh, no!" Lorelai yelled. "HE of all people does not deserve a second chance. He had plenty of chances well he was here to prove that he wasn't some hoodlum destined for jail." Every mother knows when they are fighting a losing battle. And this was that battle. All Lorelai ever wanted for Rory was to be happy. To find that guy that made her truly happy. The man who challenged her to be better.

"Jess changed his whole life around. I wish you could see that. Why him? Because I love him. Just like, Luke is your soul mate, I believe that, Jess is mine. Haven't you ever noticed it's, Jess I go running to when my relationships get messed up? There's more to him, and you can't see that because he was stupid one time and took a beer from the fridge. Get over that, mom. It's been years," Rory yelled wanting her mom to see her point.

"What does he have, that no other guy has?" Lorelai asked in a soft tone ready to wave her white flag.

"Everything, mom. No guy has ever challenged me the way he does. Instead of agreeing with me he makes me see every side of things. He questions what I do, not to start a fight but for my own good. He pushes me to do what I want and not what someone else wants me to do. He's my sun on a rainy day. He doesn't coddle me like others. He speaks his mind whether I wanna hear it or not." Lorelai knew in that instant that Jess was going to be sticking around longer than she could ever hope. This was the day she was dreading the most. Her mother's intuition was right when she wanted it to be wrong years ago. Jess wasn't good enough for her back then, she hardly doubted he was any better now. The last thing she wanted to do was to lose her daughter again. It was the worst time of her life when Rory wasn't speaking to her. She couldn't go through that again. She needed to see what all the fuss about Jess was all about.

"You make it seem like you've won the jackpot with him. As your mother it's my duty to point all the times he has let you down. He never called, he lied about his black eye, he up and left you for California, he wanted you to give up your life to be hobo's. Is being with Jess what you really want?" Lorelai asked patting the spot on the to her.

"That's in the past. In the last couple of weeks. He has went through with every promise he has made. I love him mom, I never stopped loving him. If things don't work out between us then that's on me and Jess. I need to do this for me, mom. I need to make mistakes, I'm not saying, Jess is a mistake, just that in order to learn from my mistakes I need to make them first. Just like you have done. I need this in order to be happy."

"Can't you be happy without him?" Lorelai asked with a sigh knowing she had just lost this battle. Rory gave her mom a look. "I get it, I don't like it but I'll let bygones be bygones. For the sake of everyone involved, I'll give Jess a fair chance." Rory squealed hugging her mother. "You did do a pro/con list, right?" Lorelai asked in a teasing tone.

"I can be, but I'm happier with him. This means a lot mom. You'll see that he really has changed," Rory gushed happy for this moment. "Just a huge leap of faith with my heart, I didn't need a list for this."

"I think this moment needs coffee. A lot of coffee," Lorelai suggested standing up. Rory right behind her. "Now you'll never move back to Stars Hollow."

"Why would say such a thing?" Rory gasped in horror. Lorelai shot her daughter a really look.

"You're with Jess, you know how he hated are quaint little town," Lorelai told her over dramatically.

"You're forgetting one thing, I'm a Gilmore. I know how to use my charm on him," Rory gloated.

"Oh really?" Lorelai asked ushering her inside Luke's. "Oh, such a good husband you are," Lorelai gushed guzzling half of the cup of coffee Luke had just poured her. Rory looked around.

"He headed out, didn't say where he was going," Luke informed Rory. She gave Luke a smile downed her cup of coffee and headed out. She knew exactly where Jess was at. She smiled seeing Jess staring out across the water.

"After a long chat, she finally broke down," Rory grinned sitting next to a now grinning Jess. "I knew she was going to ask why and bring up the hurt you put me through. But on the plus side of things, she never asked why I couldn't be in love with someone other than the dreamy hoodlum that shook Stars Hollows up for a year," Rory explained only stopping to take a breath of air. Jess took this chance to kiss her. The one sure-fire way to get Rory to stop talking. "What was that for?" Rory asked once the kiss had been broken.

"Felt like kissing my girlfriend," Jess replied with a shrug. "Do I need a reason to kiss my girl?"

"No, no you don't," Rory replied resting her head on his shoulder. "I would really love to stay and be with you here but I need to go get ready for the rehearsal dinner, then go pick up my siblings and get them ready."

"Why must one have a rehearsal dinner? Seriously, all you have to do is sit down and eat before you get to dance. What's the sense of it?" Jess asked getting to his feet. He held his hands out for Rory.

"Sookie wants to make sure the food is right and mom has to make sure that everyone, hoodlums included know their roles for tomorrow," Rory smirked wrapping an arm around Jess's waist.

"Oh yea, because all I gotta do is make sure you look good, make sure you don't trip walking down the aisle, stand there in the unruly tux I'm being forced to wear. At the end of the night I get to give a speech about Luke and dance with the most beautiful, most amazing women at the wedding, the maid of honor. Sounds a bit complicated, I better write the answers down on my arm," he replied being sarcastic as ever placing an arm around Rory's shoulders.

"Just don't wash it off," Rory responded back.

"Oh I wont. There is no way I wanna deal with the wrath of the Lorlelai's," Jess responded shaking his head. That would be too much for him.

"Aw miss my withering stare?" Rory joked removing her arm from around him.

"You know? I think I forgot what that looked like," Jess replied being dead serious. "I think you need to show me again, so I'm better prepared for tonight and the wedding on Saturday."

"Oh, I don't think so!" Rory told him pushing the door open. "Where's your things?" Rory asked noticing his car in the driveway behind hers.

"I should get them," Jess replied pointing to his car. Rory nodded with a laugh going to her room.

Rory emerged from her room wearing a knee-length blue dress, her hair down and black heels. Jess had walked out of the bathroom at the same time wearing black slacks and a dark blue dress shirt. Rory was left speechless. She had never seen him so dressed up. She imagined he would look good all dressed up for prom if he had stuck around. Feeling Rory's eyes on him he smirked.

"Pictures tend to last longer." His smirked turned into a smile seeing Rory's cheek flush a crimson color. "That never gets old. You ready to go?"

"You're gonna come with?" Rory questioned getting her bearings back.

"Why not?" He asked checking for his keys.

"No reason," replied Rory heading to get her purse. She also checked to make sure she had everything inside. "I'll give the directions."

In no time they had arrived to get the little ones. Jess was shocked to see how big they were and how much Audrey looked like Rory and little William looked like Luke. They both seemed to be smart, Rory informed him she was trying to get them to love books as much as she did but they would rather be outside playing than cooped up with a book all day.

"Do they have a love for coffee?" Jess asked pulling up to the Inn.

"No, mom tries to sneak them some every now and then but Luke gets after her. You lived with Luke, you know much of a health nut he is. It's worse when it comes to his kids." Jess nodded, he didn't have to say anything to that. They both walked in with a kid in their arms. Lorelai was over there quickly. She thought it was cute until she remember who her daughter was dating.

"Jess, Rory would you mind helping me get them ready?" Lorelai asked. Rory nodded sending Jess a sad smile. "Luke is hiding in my office," Lorelai told him pointing the way out.

"Thanks, Lorelai." Jess nodded and head off to find his uncle. Rory smiled to see that both of them were doing more than just trying to get along. They were actually being civil to one another.

The walk through for the ceremony went off without any problems. The dinner was excellent. Lorelai was actually impressed that Jess hadn't tried to do anything. But she had remembered back to the Bracebridge dinner and Jess had been on his best behavior that night as well.

"We're gonna head out," Rory told her mom breaking her current thoughts.

"Alright sweets, oh and the grandparents are expecting you and your new beau, tomorrow night for dinner." Rory's face paled at that. The only guy they had ever excepted with open arms was Logan. Her grandma despised Jess, her grandfather had never met him. She was hoping books and Hemingway where enough. She also had to find away not only to break the news to Jess but to convince him to come along. The wrath of Lorelai Victoria Gilmore was one thing but the wrath of Emily Gilmore was by far hell. Rory was feeling bad for Jess already.


	14. Chapter 14

"Jess, I need to ask you an important favor," Rory informed Jess barging into the now closed diner, right behind him. She had put off asking him until the very last second she possibly could. She had to do it now. It gave her time to talk Jess into going and giving them the necessary time to get ready and be on the Gilmore doorstep on time.

"Why don't I like the sound of this?" Jess questioned locking the door behind them. The last time she had asked for a favor in Stars Hollow from him he had been forced to go to a dinner where he would only be judged. It hadn't went the way it should have. He had fought with Rory over his stupid black eye and trust issues. Back then she had every reason not to trust him. He had never been the perfect boyfriend. But he never told her, he was perfect. Rory had been his first girlfriend. All the others were nothing to him. He used them for what he needed and kicked them to curb when he was finished. He never dated any of them. He didn't know how to be the boyfriend Rory deserved back then. He really had given up after he had got her. That wasn't right on his part. Things may have turned out different if he had tried harder. But again he may not have been here with her now if things would have been different.

"Because it's a horrible favor I need to ask of you. I put you in this position before but now I think you can handle it better than you had before," Rory rambled sitting at the counter. "Coffee?" Rory asked with pleading eyes. She needed the caffeine to relax her nerves. Jess nodded and started to make a fresh pot of coffee.

"Wanna tell me what has you a bundle of nerves?" Jess asked leaning on the counter, pushing some hair out of her face.

"Not yet," Rory replied shaking her head. She hadn't worked the courage up to ask such a question. It was easier back then. He didn't know her grandparents except for what she told him about them. And they didn't know Jess. To be fair, he grandpa still doesn't know him. That was the only upside to this whole thing. "How's the insane asylum treating you so far?" Rory asked staying off the topic of her grandparents.

"I've stayed clear from almost everyone. Miss Patty got a hold of me when I tried to sneak past the dance studio. My cheeks are still a bit sore and that was earlier this morning." Rory giggled seeing the uneasy look on his face. He never did mention which cheeks it was she got a hold of. It was Miss Patty after all, she didn't need to be told. "Kirk, I find more weird than before. Don't get me started on Taylor." Hearing him go on about the town made her nerves settle down some. But not enough.

"Noted," Rory responded watching Jess pour her a steaming hot cup of black liquid gold into her mug. "Mmmm," Rory mumbled taking a much-needed sip. "My mom told my grandparents about us dating and you are being forced to come with me night. You need to be ready at by 6. I'll pick you up," Rory said in one huge breath, ripping it off like a band-aid. She focused on her coffee seeing the scowl that crossed his face.

"Rory, your grandmother despises me, she'd banned me to hell if she could. Do you not remember what happened the last time I was there?" Jess asked pacing behind the counter that occupied the empty diner. The very idea of a Friday Night Dinner at the Gilmore residence had never crossed his mind. The townspeople running him out-of-town with burning pitchforks was more likely to happen then Friday night dinner. Half the time living here he wished for them to do just that.

"I remember it fondly, Jess. You showed up late, with a black eye and you left me there. I had the house to myself that night. After dinner that night, I was ready for the next step in our relationship," Rory confessed not only shocking herself but the man before her. Clearing her throat she went on. "I wasn't very fond of you that night either. I don't care if you hate my grandmother, you'd love my grandpa, Jess. He loves books and Hemingway. Please, Jess, for me?" Rory begged ready to put on her full Gilmore pout that had always made him cave.

"Did I ever tell you the truth about that black eye?" Jess asked coming to stop in front of Rory. He saw no need to bring up the fact she was prepared to lose her virginity to him that night. It did neither one of them any favors. He had to come clean about that at some point. He didn't want to but she deserved to know the truth after all these years. She looked at him with a quizzical look. She was prepared for him to go off topic. She was ok with it even She wasn't expecting him to tell her the truth about the black eye. She really wanted know. She had never thought it would happen and she was ok with not knowing the truth. It wasn't as if she would get cancer not knowing. It was Jess's secret share.

"I never did believe the whole football story. Your only friend in this town was me, now spill, coffee boy," Rory responded pushing her cup forward. "I hardly doubt that Luke went out and tossed the pigskin around with you. I can see that happening though. You'd lean against the tree reading one of your books, only for Luke to throw the ball at you giving you a black eye because you weren't paying attention."

"Coffee boy? I believe it's diner boy," Jess stated raising an eye brow. Rory shrugged her shoulders taking a sip of the hot liquid.

"Does it matter?" Rory questioned taking a drink of her coffee.

"No, I guess not," he responded pouring himself a small bit of coffee.

"You can be my coffee cabana boy, if I wanted to call you that."

"We don't have a cabana. Most importantly here, I'm not a boy, I'm a man."

"A very manly man at that," Rory responded feeling his biceps. He took her hand in his, letting his brown eyes lock onto her blue ones. His whole demeanor turned serious.

"A swan did it." Rory looked at him with expecting eyes waiting for more of an explanation here. A swan wasn't the best answer to use for anything if you didn't explain yourself. "I was reading and bam!" Jess said clapping his hands together, making Rory jump slightly. "The stupid thing beaked me. Came close to taking my eye out." Holding in her fit of giggles wasn't working and she burst out in laughter.

"Hot off the press, beaked by swan, the new way to die!" Rory mocked with water coming to her eyes as she laughed. "You're hilarious, Jess."

"I'm not joking, ask Luke. He even helped me go after the damn thing."

"Did you get him?" Rory asked turning serious for a second. "I'd hate for him to be roaming all over Stars Hollow finding more disgruntled teens to beak."

"See why I never told you any of this?" Jess asked a few laughs coming out. "Believe me or not, that's the truth. I couldn't tell you the truth back then, not only would you mock me like you are now, but I had my bad boy rep to protect."

"I wont mock, we all have stupid stuff happen to us. Yours is just silly stupid. I'm not a single bit mad you waited so long to tell me, rather disappointed I didn't get to mock you about this years ago." Jess went to move away wanting to be done of both conversations. "I need you to do this for me, Jess." Rory grabbed his hand holding on tight not ready for him to move away from her.

"You know the last time, you bribed me with a book. What do I get this time?" Jess asked with half a smirk placing chairs on top of the tables.

"A bookstore," responded Rory turning on the stool to face Jess.

"I already have a bookstore, nice try though," Jess smirked coming to stand in front of her. "What else?"

"First edition of any Hemingway book you want," Rory beamed up at him.

"And you'll read it, all of it?" Rory went to protest only for Jess to silence her with a searing kiss. "I wont go if you don't read it," Jess whispered in her. Rory huffed crossing her arms over her chest. It was a lot to ask of him with the chance Emily could serve Jess for the main course. Reading a book wouldn't kill her. Unless it happened to bore her to death, but that was unlikely.

"Fine," Rory sighed giving in to his demands. Jess smiled capturing her lips for what turned out to be a very hungry kiss. "Slacks, not jeans, but slacks and a dress shirt. I'll leave the tie choice up to you." Rory slip past him going to the door. "Why is the diner closed at 2 in the afternoon?" She had never seen nor heard of Luke closing the diner at such a time. It wasn't his dark day. He wasn't off fishing either.

"Luke's orders, not mine," responded Jess. He put an arm around Rory. "It's closed until Sunday, when I come in to open up."

"I knew that," Rory responded rolling her eyes. "I can't help you back to the diner. If you walk me all the way home. I love the gesture though."

"Remember, I'm staying at your house," Jess informed her once again. Rory buried her face into his chest. She couldn't believe she had forgotten that Jess was staying with her. To be fair she had been busy and a lot on her mind since the previous day.

"Right because Luke forgot to keep a place for you to stay," Rory joked instantly feeling cold from the loss of contact. Not even the sun that shinned down on her warmed her up.

"Only means I'm closer to you," Jess whispered pulling her body against his. Her arms went around his waist on their own accord.

"Also means I've got myself a protector in case something goes wrong."

"We're in Stars Hollow, Rory. I don't think anything is going to happen."

"You don't know that!" Protested Rory. "A bat could make its self at home in my room. A mouse could be crawling through the cupboards. A snake could slither right through the front door. A spider could be in the tub." A smile graced his lips as Rory rattled reasons off. He found that ever since Rory waltzed back into his life, not only did he smile more but he was genuinely happier.

"I get it, Rory. I'll be here to save you from all the wildlife that moves into the house. I'll kick 'em out for not paying rent." Rory rolled her eyes at that. She had two weeks to fall in love with all the little things that Jess was sure to do only for them to vanish when he goes back to Philadelphia and she goes back to New York. Two weeks to cherish those little moments. The future held uncertainty, when it came to the two of them. She was going to be optimistic about it all. She wanted this time with Jess to work out.


	15. Chapter 15

From the second she rang the doorbell everything seemed to slow down except for her racing heart. Jess gave her hand a gentle squeeze to comfort her. Not only did it assure Rory that Jess hadn't bailed yet but Jess felt good knowing that Rory had no intentions of abandoning him here. Not that she would do such a thing.

"You coming tonight means a lot, Jess," Rory told him as they waited for the maid to answer the door.

"You said this, the whole way here, Ror." Jess paused to take a deep breath to calm his nerves. Meeting new people had always been a thrill. Meeting Emily Gilmore once again was nerve-wracking. He didn't know what to expect with Mr. Gilmore. Emily could have filled his head with so many things. "Can we just leave now? It's not our fault that their maid never let us in." The part of him that wasn't joking was being serious. He could do without the torture that went on behind the doors that stood before him.

"Jess, I know you don't want to be here and it's easy to run from this place but you've changed and if my grandma doesn't see that, it's her problem, she is missing out on knowing the incredible man that's my boyfriend." Jess kissed her cheek as the door swung open.

"Rory, for heavens sakes why didn't you ring the doorbell?" Emily scolded her. "I thought I was going crazy hearing voices."

"We did grandma, like five minutes ago," Rory responded stepping inside the lavish house, Jess behind her. "Grandma, you remember, Jess right?"

"Hello, Mrs. Gilmore," Jess greeted holding his hand out. Emily furrowed her brow studying him closely.

"Oh yes, the hoodlum boy who not only showed up late but came with a blackened eye. I remember the boy very fondly," Emily snipped. She walked into the sitting area ignoring Jess altogether.

"Such a blast already," Jess mocked in a hushed whisper. Rory lightly smacked him on the chest and followed her grandmother.

"Hi, grandpa," Rory greeted hugging and kissing his cheek like normal.

"Hello, Rory, what would you like to drink?"

"A martini, is fine. Grandpa, this is my boyfriend, Jess," Rory said gaining his full attention.

"Ah, yes, I saw the two of you together last night, you seemed happy, Rory." She smiled at her grandpa. "What can I get you to drink, Jess?"

"A Scotch is fine, sir."

"Please call me Richard," he replied handing them their drinks. "What is it you do?" Richard asked sitting down.

"I co-own a publishing house in Philadelphia. Truncheon books."

"I think I've heard of the place. How did you meet my lovely granddaughter?" He really wanted to know the man before him. He had only ever met two of Rory's boyfriends. Both of them were something to be desired. He only ever tolerated Dean and as for Logan, the kid was bright and he had hoped that things between the kids had worked out but they hadn't. All he wanted for Rory was for her to be happy with whomever she chose.

"Richard, this is the boy I told you about. The one that had no respect by showing up late and coming here with a black eye. If that wasn't enough he got onto a fight with Rory and left her here," Emily retorted with a distaste for the boy. "I'm surprised you didn't end up in prison."

"Grandma," Rory hissed. "The fight was my fault, not his. Jess has changed greatly since we were 17." Rory put her hand on his. He really felt that it would be best if he kept his mouth shut. "He has written a book. He has changed his whole life around." Jess smiled at Rory. The night was destined to go bad the second they pulled up to the house. That he had expected. What he didn't expect was for Rory to fight his battle for him. Rory had always stuck up for him, but she had so much determination in her eyes.

"It's alright Rory, I should have told you what was going, I'm the one to blame. Mrs. Gilmore I may not come from money, I may not be able to give her expense gifts or take her out to a fancy restaurant, but I have given her my heart, my soul, my love. Isn't that enough?" The very idea of Rory fighting for him, made him realize that he needed to say something. To stick up for them. What they thought about him didn't matter. It was what they thought about their relationship that mattered to Rory, he knew that much from the look in her eye earlier in the day.

"Your soul is still intact?" Emily hissed sipping at her drink. "Color me shocked."

"Emily, that's enough. Jess is a guest in our house, he's Rory's boyfriend. He seems like a fine young man. Clearly Rory has moved past everything that has happened, you should to," Richard bellowed. "Lorelai is happy with Luke he doesn't come from money. We can't play matchmaker for Rory any longer. She wants to be with a guy that loves her, money doesn't buy happiness, Emily."

"He's Luke nephew, Richard. Do you still want your granddaughter to date her step-cousin?"

"Step-cousin? I wasn't aware that was even a thing these days. Look at the Gilmore blood, Emily," Richard insisted. Jess gave Rory a knowing look.

"I'll explain later." She whispered leaning into him "My grandpa likes you already." He wasn't use to someone other than Luke or Rory defending him. More recently Matt and Chris had been added to that list. But this was new to him. He heard how hard it was for Luke to get in the good gracious of Richard Gilmore.

"It's kinda strange," Jess whispered back. "Your grandmother's hatred grows for me the more I sit here."

"She'll come around," Rory tried knowing better of it. She had an inkling that she was scheming something in her head as they sat before her.

"We don't whisper amongst ourselves," Emily screeched at the couple.

"Sorry, grandma." Rory sent her a small smile.

"A long distance relationship wont work out, Rory. You live in New York and that lives in Philadelphia. You should get back with Logan. He's moved to New York now. I'll give him call and set it up." Jess hated the feeling that shot down his spine at his name. The possibility of Rory leaving him to get back with that dick loomed in the back of his mind.

"Grandma, no. Things with Logan are over for good. You remember he left me. I wasn't ready to get married or even engaged and he walked away from me. I don't want to reconnect with him. The only guy I want is the one I'm sitting next to. I love him, grandma. I need someone who loves me. That can challenge me. Call me out when I need it. Someone that can love me with all my faults. I don't need money or expensive gifts, everything Jess has to offer is all I need. I'm not superficial, like some people," Rory stated. "It wont be long distance. Truncheon Books is expanding in New York."

"Mrs. Gilmore dinner is ready." Emily left the room in a huff. Rory held Jess back.

"I'm sorry for her behavior, Jess. Don't for a second think, I want to see Logan or be with him again. I'm more than just content with you. You make my life worth living." Jess softly kissed her lips. He didn't want to voice his concerns here.

"Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, when dinner is served we sit at the table and eat, not fraternize with your no good boyfriend in the sitting room," Emily called out annoyed in the whole situation.

"Did I say I was sorry?" Rory asked walking into the dinning room.

"You did, but I'm sure more of them will be coming," Jess smirked slightly. They sat at the table across from each other.

"How is work going, Rory?" Emily asked in a civilized manner as they ate their salads.

"It's alright," Rory responded poking at the contents of her salad. Jess thought that everything with Rory and the Times was going wonderfully. She had never mentioned anything to him. This had him concerned.

"Why's that, Rory?" Richard asked beating Jess to the punch.

"Ever since I can remember I've wanted to be a reporter. I enjoy it, don't get me wrong," Rory started out laying her fork down. "But recently it's not very fulfilling."

"This has to be your fault, Jess." It stung both Rory and Jess that Emily would lay blame on him.

"I had nothing to do with this, Emily. I didn't even know Rory was feeling this way until now." He couldn't take much more of the older woman's attitude towards him. Forgetting about the shocked and out-raged woman he turned his attention to Rory. "What was it you had in mind of doing instead?" Jess asked his anger subsiding.

"The thrill of being the editor at the Yale Daily News was different and fun. I wouldn't mind being an editor at a small newspaper. Books how awesome would it be to edit books for the rest of my life?" Rory spoke with a glee behind every word she spoke.

"Do it, Rory," Jess encouraged her. "The only person that can stop you, is you."

"You think?" Rory asked chewing on her lip.

"Rory, life is to short, make the most out of it. Do the things you love. I support you whatever way you go with this." Rory smiled at her grandpa.

"I think it's ridiculous. How can you support her quitting her dream job, Richard?" Emily barked appalled at the people around her.

"Dreams change, grandma," Rory retorted as the maid took their salad plates away.

"I wont hear of it," Emily stated harshly.

"Then don't ask about it," Jess replied in the same harsh tone.

"Jess," Rory sighed.

"Emily," Richard warned. He enjoyed the young man's company. He was good for Rory. He could easily see the love that flowed between the two of them.

"What's for dinner?" Rory asked feeling it was the best thing to ask at the moment.

"Lamb chops with a balsamic reductions sauce served over a bed of wild greens and avocado," Emily stated as the plates were placed on the table. Red wine already filled the glasses before them. Jess looked at the food on his plate not very sure about it.

"If you ever need insurance for that publishing house of yours in New York, give me a call and I'll work something out." Rory smiled hearing her grandfather trying to help Jess out.

"Thanks for that, Richard," Jess told him sincerely. Other than Luke no one had ever willingly wanted to help me.

"Rory said something about the fact you wrote a book. What was your inspiration behind that?" Richard asked inquisitive to learn more.

"Rory," Jess replied glancing at her seeing the small blush rise to her cheeks. "I have never met more of a book nerd then her."

"Have you met yourself?" Rory asked getting a chuckle out of Jess. "You should see his study, Jess. Filled with Hemingway," Rory joked.

"It is not my fault you don't like a literature genius like Hemingway," Jess retorted back.

"I don't understand what she has against Hemingway," Richard piped in. "Rory, feel free to show Jess my study after dinner."

"Thanks, grandpa." Conversation became null and void as they ate. Jess and Rory shared plenty of looks with each other.

"Rory, I can't sit here and let you throw your life away over this hooligan. He's not what you deserve," Emily stated putting her fork down.

"What does she deserve? A lush life? Do you really believe that Logan is better for her?" Jess asked anger seeping its way in.

"A lot better than you'll ever be. He can serve Rory the world and his love on a sliver platter. You can't afford to do anything close to that."

"Grandma stop it, Jess can offer me the world with his love. I believe we just went over this. If you can't accept my relationship with Jess, you can no longer accept me," Rory stated standing up. "Grandpa, I'll be in touch."

"Richard, it was pleasure meeting you. Mrs. Gilmore," Jess stated following behind Rory. Jess pulled his girlfriend into him once they were by the car. "You ok?"

"I will be. I hate how she assumes you're not good enough for me." She rested her head on his chest. The steady beating of his heart relaxing her. "She assumes she knows what's best for me. But she doesn't. Don't agree with her either," Rory threatened.

"Why should I do such an inane thing? I don't want to see you with Logan. I want you to be right here in my arms. Only you know what makes you happy, Rory." She stood on her toes and kissed him.

"Let's go get you some food," Rory said reluctantly pulling away from him. "I'm sorry times a million, I owe you more than reading a Hemingway book. Thank you for doing this," Rory rambled getting into the passenger seat. "The one good thing. My grandpa adores you."

"He's pretty cool for a grandpa. I can see why you love him so much. That grandmother of yours is a very unique and desired taste. You're right you do owe me more than reading the amazingly awesome Hemingway. We'll sort that out later. You have no reason to be sorry and lastly, you're welcome. It was no picnic on my part but this was for you. It meant a lot to you so it meant something to me." Rory smiled lacing her fingers with his free hand. Tonight hadn't went smoothly but they were closer than ever at the end of the night. With Jess's help she would get her future and his future figured out. She couln't see her future without him in it and that no longer scared her.


End file.
